MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis had pushed a partnership with the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) and different local government units (LGUs) by asking them to support the One Town, One Technology (OTOTech) project of the University to sustain food production and development in the countryside.

In a meeting with Gov. Imee R. Marcos at the provincial Capitol last November 14, Dr. Agrupis said she is foreseeing a very smooth symbiotic relationship between MMSU and the PGIN after the governor allocated budget for the conduct of research in its Paspas Dur-as program.

“After getting the support of the governor, then MMSU is setting a milestone for MMSU-PGIN partnership to hit the landmark of pursuing development efforts in the countryside,” Dr. Agrupis said.

OTOTech is one of the research initiatives of MMSU, which features product development, process, and services that aim to identify, develop, process, and eventually sustain the needs, interests, and concerns of the rural communities.

In this program, the knowledge and techniques in entrepreneurship are imparted to the people to sustain their needs for entrepreneurial activities.

Dr. Agrupis said she initiated the OTOTech, because “we have observed that the traditional modality that we previously used was not really effective today. So, this program approach will address the needs, interests, and concerns of the communities.”

Aside from the PGIN as new partner, OTOTech has already been a modality of partnership between the MMSU, the 18-member institutions of the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC), and the Ilocos Norte Science Community (INSC) of which MMSU is also the lead agency.

“In this program, the traditional practices of the farmers and other stakeholders will be addressed to. These will be combined with the new technologies we have developed to enhance their practices for improved food production”, Dr. Agrupis said.

            In OTOTech, various municipalities of Ilocos Norte will be zoned and clustered in terms of their own traditional farming practices, then, the local government units (LGUs) will cooperate with MMSU and other concerned agencies for the application of the new research interventions.

“That’s why we need the cooperation of the different town mayors to ensure the progress of this bottoms-up research approach, because we cannot do these with ourselves,” Dr. Agrupis said.

In a meeting with the different local officials, some common problems in the province were revealed such issues on labeling and packaging of products, knowledge on soil management, revival of the provincial fishponds for inland fishery, rehabilitation of small water impounding projects (SWIP) and silted waterways, improvement of the loomweaving designs, invasion of water hyacinths, improvement of crops which are considered as flagship commodities, and the production of new and off-season crops such as dragon fruit cactus, among others.

Dr. Agrupis said there were more than 10 listed concerns by the LGU and these will be consolidated and addressed immediately through the use of the present technologies of MMSU through the help of technical experts.

“MMSU will seek the help of other research networks in case that one of these issues cannot be addressed to by our technologies so that the value of partnership and cooperation can be harnessed,” she assured.