By Michael Visaya

Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the City Government of Batac have formally sealed a partnership to strengthen community-based tourism and hospitality development through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on September 9.

MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr. and Batac City Mayor Hon. Mark Christian “Markee” R. Chua, represented by City Councilor Eleuterio A. Salamangkit Jr., led the ceremonial signing, solidifying a collaboration that particularly engages the University’s College of Business, Economics and Accountancy (CBEA).

The partnership seeks to train Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, as well as women in the community, by equipping them with relevant skills and knowledge through the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management (BSTM) and Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (BSHM) programs. Promoting transformative community development, faculty experts will facilitate capacity-building, research-based training, and grassroots engagement for barangay beneficiaries. 

The MOA focuses on two flagship programs under the Community and Enterprise Development Program (CEDP): Project GINTO (Generating Innovations to Nurture Tourism Sites towards Outstanding Operations and Outcomes) under BSTM, and Project STARS (Service, Tourism Enterprise Management, Accommodation Operations, Recreation and Leisure Management, Sustainable Food Production and Service Practices) under BSHM.

Project GINTO will center on sustainable community-based farm tourism awareness, tourism promotions through professional development and customer service, farm tour guiding, farm tourism enterprise identification, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) basics. Meanwhile, Project STARS will feature a series of seminars on farm-to-table experience, food innovation and local product development, homestay readiness and hospitality care, leisure, culture and heritage activation, and community prosperity through tourism and business. 

Councilor Salamankit underscored the strong collaboration between the city government and MMSU in implementing meaningful extension programs. “This initiative will not only provide students with valuable hands-on experience alongside local residents, but will also generate lasting benefits for the community,” he said.

President Manzano likewise emphasized that the project reflects the university’s commitment to reaching its stakeholders, particularly those in far-flung areas. “We will continue to build partnerships that create meaningful impact at the grassroots level,” he affirmed.

As part of the agreement, the Dap-ayan Ni Mannalon Site, a community-managed farmhouse in every barangay, will serve as the hub for the implementation of both extension projects. The site will serve as a model of sustainable, community-based farm tourism and hospitality practices.

Also present during the ceremony were Batac City Agriculturist Mark Allan Abad, Tourism Officer Angelica Yumul, Sumader Barangay Captain Crispin Putulan, CBEA Dean Emil James Tanagon, Mercy Fausto Gano, representing Extension Director Marlowe Aquino, CBEA-Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Chair Buena Creselda Taloza, and faculty members of said department. 

With this partnership, MMSU and the City Government of Batac reaffirm their shared vision of promoting local culture, agriculture, and innovation to create thriving and sustainable communities.