Kuya Dev

19/08/2026

US Big AI and their investors are in real trouble if they keep on banking on the thesis that companies will increase spend as they increase usage. They probably are well-aware, which may be the biggest reason why:

1. They are lobbying for the US government to ban Chinese AI models, including open weight ones like DeepSeek.

2. They are in a race to exit via IPO.

18/08/2026

Or BANTOTS MO AMA

ByteDance
Anthropic
NVIDIA
TSMC
OpenAI
Tencent
SpaceX

Meta
Oracle

Alphabet
Microsoft
Alibaba

18/08/2026

The worst thing the people can do is to be apathetic about this.

Be pro- or anti-, but inform yourself and take a stand.

Anomalous flood control projects happened because they weren't scrutinized enough, if at all, during the planning stages up to ex*****on. Public discourse around Pax Silica has to be loud, so that government knows that they're under the microscope, that the whole country is watching. Pax Silica needs all the scrutiny it can get.

You've probably heard of Pax Silica lately. Here's why it's something Filipinos should pay attention to. Link at the comment section!

17/08/2026

Sa mga haters ng okra diyan, anu kayo ngayon?! 😂

OKRA VS. MICROPLASTICS? 🌱💧

A familiar vegetable may have an unexpected role in fighting water pollution.

A 2025 peer-reviewed study published in ACS Omega found that natural polymers extracted from okra removed around 80% of microplastics from ocean-water samples tested by researchers.

The process takes advantage of the sticky polysaccharides naturally found in okra. These plant-based polymers attach to microplastic particles, causing them to clump together and sink, making them easier to separate from the water.

Researchers prepared the material by soaking sliced okra pods in water overnight, extracting the dissolved polymers and drying them into powder. The treatment was then tested on microplastic-contaminated water collected from different sources.

Results varied depending on the type of water. Okra performed best in ocean water at around 80% removal, while fenugreek achieved around 89% in groundwater and an equal mixture of okra and fenugreek removed approximately 77% from freshwater.

The plant-derived polymers also performed better than commercially available polyacrylamide in laboratory testing. The researchers identified okra and fenugreek extracts as potential biodegradable and nontoxic alternatives for removing contaminants during water treatment.

From a common vegetable to a potential tool against microplastic pollution, okra shows how nature-based materials could contribute to cleaner water technologies. 🌱🌊

17/08/2026

I am still hopeful. AI governance and ethics will be crucial in helping the industry navigate its way back to helping bring forward positive change into the world.

17/08/2026

Road to Pax Silica 💪

Legit ba ‘to o AI? 🫣

💻 The VISOR Community

17/08/2026

Kuya Dev Podcast is back for a 7th season!

Available now on your favorite podcast platforms, including Youtube and Spotify.

17/08/2026

Reminder that instead of doubling down on local research, UP will have funding cuts in next year's proposed budget.

We have the opportunity to have our own "Matcha" moment by capitalizing on the growing global demand on ube, and yet government will probably screw this up again.

But yeah, let's trust them blindly that they'll get Pax Silica right, shall we?

BETTER UBE? 💜

As ube continues to capture attention around the world, Filipino scientists are looking deep into its roots—literally—to help determine which Philippine varieties could offer higher yields, stronger flavors, richer colors, and greater opportunities for farmers.

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Los Baños have identified 10 superior varieties of purple yam, or ube, after examining 188 greater yam (Dioscorea alata) accessions collected from farms and gene banks across the Philippines.

Not every ube is the same. Some varieties stand out for their deep purple flesh, aroma, flavor, anthocyanin content, or productivity.

Among those studied, Villasis 2 emerged as a high-yielding variety capable of producing more than 60 tons per hectare, while the famous Kinampay remained the benchmark for flavor. Other selections showed strengths in color, aroma, and anthocyanin content—the natural compounds associated with ube’s distinctive purple pigmentation.

But researchers are not relying on appearance and taste alone.

“Using thousands of genetic markers, researchers built DNA fingerprints for Philippine ube varieties,” the Department of Agriculture said.

These genetic fingerprints could eventually help distinguish varieties with greater scientific precision and support future varietal identification and certification—giving farmers greater assurance about planting materials and exporters greater confidence that Philippine ube products are authentic.

The work comes as ube’s international popularity continues to grow, creating an opportunity for science to strengthen a crop already deeply connected to Filipino food and culture.

From halaya and pastries to cafés and products overseas, ube may be going global—but Philippine researchers are working to ensure that its future remains rooted in better science, stronger varieties, and Filipino agriculture. 💜🇵🇭