Sustainable livelihood: MMSU, ILAARRDEC hold bamboo training in Pinili

By Joycel Lagrio, STRATCOM Correspondent


To enhance community livelihoods and promote sustainable resource management, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), through its Extension Directorate and the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), conducted a two-day training on Bamboo Production and Management for Sustainable Livelihoods in partnership with Brgy. Aglipay, Pinili, Ilocos Norte.  


Supported by the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC)  , the training equipped 46 farmers, local leaders, and community members with practical skills on bamboo propagation, nursery establishment, and plantation management. The program seeks to ensure a steady supply of bamboo as raw material for local enterprises, while contributing to ecological restoration and climate resilience.


Barangay Aglipay Chair Aldreds L. Edmalin welcomed the team and expressed his optimism for the project's impact. Pinili Municipal Agriculturist Philip Galang, representing Mayor Rommel T. Labasan, thanked MMSU and ILAARRDEC for the initiative and urged participants to apply their knowledge not only for their livelihoods but also for the benefit of future generations.


Ms. Abegel A. Joson, Chief of Technology Promotion and Demonstration at MMSU Extension Directorate, emphasized the sustainability of bamboo-based livelihoods, citing their economic viability and environmental benefits. She also recognized the initiative of Pinili's Magsasaka Siyentista, Mr. Reynaldo Antalan, who championed the Project for his community.


Participants first attended lectures and demonstrations from two bamboo experts, Mr. Charlie Maine Cacactin, CAFSD faculty member, and Mr. Bonne Jovie Orteza, MMSU Research Assistant, on the prospects of the bamboo industry and the university’s propagation methods. They then helped establish a new bambusetum in Brgy. Aglipay, the seventh developed by MMSU in the province. This initiative aimed at strengthening local enterprises and promoting ecological stewardship.  


Participants expressed their appreciation for the initiative, with Antalan affirming that the training provides long-term solutions for both livelihood and environmental management, while Kagawad Nathan Lucero stressed its benefits not only for Aglipay but for neighboring communities as well.


To reinforce learning, MMSU distributed information, education, and communication (IEC) materials on bamboo production technologies. Through this initiative, MMSU, together with ILAARRDEC and local partners, reaffirms its commitment to building sustainable and climate-resilient communities, positioning bamboo as both a driver of economic growth and a symbol of environmental resilience in Ilocos Norte.


📸 MMSU Extension Directorate

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