The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA), through the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), in partnership with the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) Calabanga, successfully concluded Project GAIN: Generating Alternative Income for Needs under the HOPES Extension Program with a two-day Training on Mushroom Production and Livelihood Development held on June 18โ19, 2026.
Senior citizen participants from Calabanga attended the opening session held at the CBSUA-Calabanga Library, where discussions focused on mushroom production as a practical livelihood option. Topics included basic cultivation techniques, management practices, and potential entrepreneurial opportunities aimed at supporting additional household income.
As part of the activity, participants were brought to the CBSUA Sipocot Mushroom Center in Sibujo, Libmanan for an educational tour and hands-on learning. They were oriented on mushroom research and production by Dr. Arce D. Bellere, Director of the Mushroom Processing and Research Center, together with Ms. Baby Eloisa Lingao-Peรฑano, Extension Coordinator of CBSUA Sipocot, who discussed production technologies and ongoing research initiatives in mushroom development.
The group also visited Salazarโs Mushroom Farm in Minalabac, where farm owner Mr. Alwin B. Salazar demonstrated commercial mushroom production practices and operations, giving participants a direct look at industry-based techniques.
Participants were also provided fruiting bags for mushroom cultivation, to support application at the community level.
The activity reflects the continuing collaboration of CBSUA-CAS and OSCA Calabanga in providing practical and science-based livelihood opportunities for senior citizens through skills training, exposure visits, and community-based extension initiatives. | ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ข
