After almost two years of collaboration, the CBSUA Vetiver Center finally sealed partnership with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the LGU of Tabaco City, Albay through a Memorandum of Understanding signing done on October 24, 2022 at the LGU Tabaco Conference Hall.
The CBSUA-LGU Tabaco MOU signing was spearheaded by Hon. Krisel Lagman-Luistro, City Mayor of Tabaco after the Flag Raising Ceremony wherein President Alberto N. Naperi delivered his message to the people of Tabaco City beforehand. The CBSUA Team is led by President Albert Naperi; Dr. Ramona Isabel S. Ramirez, VP for Research and Innovation; Dr. Melchora V. Abonal, Director of the CBSUA Vetiver Center; Dr. Marco Stefan Lagman, faculty researcher of Vetiver Center with the support of Dr. Vladimir Foronda, Director of the Extension Services Division, who was not able to attend due to equally important concerns.
The partnership began on August 2021, when Mayor Lagman-Luistro sent a letter to Dr. Naperi about their MRF/Sanitary Landfill problems, believing that vetiver grass could be a solution. The president personally visits the site with the VP for Research and Innovation and the Director of the Vetiver Center. During the meeting, Dr. Naperi wanted to render services first before signing into an MOU.
On September 2021 the CBSUA Vetiver Center provided free 3000 slips of vetiver grass to LGU Tabaco. The city government allocated 1.5 ha for Vetiver Grass Production within its sanitary landfill areas, and the results were remarkable. With the many benefits of Vetiver Grass, they created a Vetiver Grass Seawall in three barangays of Tabaco City as bioengineering protection which gave evident results.
After the MOU Signing, the CBSUA Team visited one of the Vetiver Seawalls at Brgy. Quinastillojan, San Miguel Tabaco City.
