The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA), in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology–Camarines Sur (DOST) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sipocot, conducted a two-day Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Mainstreaming Workshop for SMART Sipocot on April 21–22, 2026, at King Thomas Learning Academy in Malobago, Sipocot, Camarines Sur.
The workshop aimed to advance Sipocot’s vision of becoming a “Smart Municipality” by integrating science, technology, and innovation into local governance, public service delivery, and long-term development planning. It focused on translating the SMART Sipocot agenda into concrete, technology-driven strategies toward building a resilient and innovative-enabled municipality by 2035.
Participants were introduced to the DOST iSTART and Smart and Sustainable Communities (SSC) Program frameworks to establish a common reference for innovation-driven planning. CBSUA facilitators led a series of visioning exercises, situational analyses, and workshops to identify development gaps and align proposed STI initiatives with the municipality’s existing programs, projects, and activities (PPAs), as presented by the Municipal Planning and Development Office.
The program began with a message from Municipal Administrator Alberto N. Borromeo, representing Mayor Tomas A. Bocago, who underscored the role of STI in improving governance systems and delivering responsive services to constituents. The activity gathered municipal officials, department heads, and sectoral representatives to collaboratively map out priority areas for intervention.
Stakeholders consolidated key issues, set preliminary goals, and identified strategic directions to strengthen the integration of STI into Sipocot’s Comprehensive Development Plan. The activity emphasized data-driven decision-making and multi-sectoral collaboration as essential components of smart and sustainable local governance.
The workshop also marked the first phase of a continuing engagement, with succeeding sessions scheduled in May 2026 to refine STI targets, identify priority programs, and formalize partnerships through a Memorandum of Understanding among partner institutions.
Among those present were Provincial Science and Technology Director Patrocinio N. Felizmenio; Mayor Tomas A. Bocago; Supervising Science Research Specialist Julie Anne Balangat-Lomadilla; SSC Program Coordinator Ariel Joshua Madric; DOST Technical Staff Bituin N. Celevante; Alvin Kasilag of LGU Sipocot; CBSUA Extension Services Director Abigail V. Guinoo; Dr. Dennis Gabon; and faculty and extension personnel from CBSUA Sipocot and Pili campuses. | 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘌𝘚𝘋
