BANGUED, Abra (PIA) --The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Cordillera held a benchmarking activity in the province for its project beneficiaries from Benguet to maximize their potential in producing local products.
Through the collaborative efforts of DOST-Benguet and DOST-Abra, the benchmarking activities allowed the participants from Benguet to gain insights from DOST-assisted Abrenians in order to increase their capacity in producing various products.
The participants are Community Empowerment thru Science and Technology (CEST) and Community-Based Projects beneficiaries from Mankayan and Kibungan, Benguet.
In Brgy. Malita, Bangued which is known for its various sugarcane products, Abrenian mascuvado producers demonstrated sugarcane juice processing.
Marcelino Leones of Brgy. Malita, a pioneer of muscovado production in Bangued, shared his expertise in producing various delicacies out of sugarcane juice. He demonstrated to the Benguet participants the production of “balikutsa,” a local sweet candy made from sugarcane molasses, “cascaron”, a staple Abrenian dessert made out of molded glutinous rice coated with sugarcane molasses and muscovado or cane sugar.
Mateo Batani, one of the participants from Mankayan said that he learned a lot from his tour around Abra through this initiative of the DOST.
“We produce mascuvado in Benguet also but we do not know how to produce other products out of it yet so this support from DOST helped us a lot especially in coming up with new products out of our sugarcane produce,” Batani said.
“We are thankful that DOST continues to support us to grow our businesses with more capability trainings like this,” he added.
Aside from sugarcane juice processing, the participants were also toured to other Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) projects such as solid waste management and processing of Joker Junkshop, noodle processing of Talledo's Miki Commercial, and natural dying and weaving of Namarabar Indigo Association. (JDP/CAGT- PIA CAR, Abra)
