The CBSUA-Extension Services Division and the Melitorusim Team (MT), composed of Dr. Amelia R. Nicolas, Dr. Hanilyn A. Hidalgo, Ms. Mia Bella R. Fresnido, and Ms. Presbel B. Presto, responded to the request of the Beekeepers Association of Camarines Norte(BACN) for a farm assessment and orientation seminar on August 17-18, 2022 at the two municipalities of Camarines Norte, Basud and Labo.
Their first engagement with CBSUA was when they were capacitated on stingless beekeeping through training conducted by Dr. Nicolas and, at the same time, served as respondents to a research project by the Melitoursim Team on developing indicators for the social enterprise business model in Melitourism on March 2022. The BACN President, Mrs. Cecile Zaballa-Pedir, reached out to the Melitourism Team for support to develop and convert their members’ farms into melitourism sites aimed for accreditation by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as tourism spots and DA-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) as Learning Site for Agriculture, with a special focus on meliponiculture. Using the indicators developed through the MT’s research, priority farms for assessment were identified, and the preparedness level for melitourism was determined. Dr. Nicolas explained the rationale and purpose of the activity, while Dr. Hidalgo discussed the melitourism development indicators during the orientation seminar.
This type of engagement showcases the interfacing of research and extension endeavors of the CBSUA faculty, wherein research outputs are properly disseminated, generously shared, and productively utilized to aid community development.
