On the third year of the Asia-Pacific Journal of Human Development and Family Studies (AHEAD), it is high time to recall our humble beginnings, beyond limits, borders, and boundaries. Home to UPLB’s Department of Human and Family Development Studies, the aspirations of AHEAD are at the core of homegrown contributions of faculty members, academic and administrative staff, and other community stakeholders. The maiden issue Pagsibol pays tribute to the individuals who strive to break barriers towards advancing scientific research and academic pursuits through scientific publication. The following year, both Pagtindig and Paghahayag issues aptly capture the need to affirm our position in support of our advocacies on human development and family studies.

Paggunita is an invitation to strengthen core memory which makes us humans aware of our developmental capacities and potentials. What has brought us here amidst our limits and shortcomings? Paggunita is a celebration of milestones, of pondering the future with the sincerest aspirations. The current issue of AHEAD is a product of Paggunita: invitation and celebration. The studies published in this issue are testament of an appeal and encouragement to make one’s discipline and/or field of study as a platform towards improving inquiries on human development and family studies. On the same vein, the publication of these studies signals celebration owing to the efforts and commitment to disseminate findings of one’s study.

Paggunita as an invitation can be captured in the studies found in this issue. Varela and Penafiel looked at policy enhancement on health and nutrition practices; Casingal on post-pandemic analysis regarding face-to-face class modality; and Arrieta and Zulieta about an intervention program in the graduate school. Similarly, Justiniani and colleagues invite us to delve into the takeaways from community-based teaching in the context of tech voc education. Lastly, the study of Ausrestila and colleagues invite us to unfold the narratives among senior high school students regarding social interaction anxiety and emotion dysregulation. Paggunita is celebrated in the works of Passion and Abad regarding travel behavior; Suarez and colleagues on family mealtime frequency; and the perception and involvement of children on Filipino farming as studied by Alcantara.

We look back to keep moving forward. The commitment of AHEAD in advancing scientific findings in the realm of human development and family studies is at the core of Paggunita: an invitation to celebrate, a celebration of the invitation.

Inero V. Ancho
Editor-in-Chief
June 2024