Three island communities in the Municipality of Culasi are recipients of the Innovative Sustainability and Leveraging Empowerment through Technology and Science (ISLETS) project of the Department of Science and Technology, amounting to PHP3.4 million.

Antique Provincial Science and Technology (PSTO) director Eleazer Salvador Moscoso, on Wednesday, said the ISLETS under the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program aims to enhance livelihood and provide access to clean water to recipient communities in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

It will be implemented in partnership with the University of Antique College of Engineering and Architecture (UA-CEA) as part of its extension program in island communities in Malalison, Batbatan, and Maniguin in Culasi.

“For the livelihood development, the island of Batbatan will be provided with three units of Portasol, which is a multi-purpose solar drying tray,” Moscoso said in an interview.

The island’s marginalized sector, especially women, will undergo training on fish drying, preservation, quality control, and packaging. They will also receive one unit of stainless preparation table.

Batbatan and Maniguin will be provided with photovoltaic solar systems, while Malalison will receive a plastic shredder machine and training to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of environmental conservation and biodiversity preservation.

Malalison, as part of health and nutrition intervention, will have one mobile water disinfection system with a water storage tank and pump.

They will also train on safe water handling and troubleshooting techniques for the water filtration system.

Further, DOST will provide one unit of smart television and a desktop computer for the e-governance system Barangay Infosystem for Development and Accountability (BIDA) to strengthen community governance in the barangays of Malalison.

“To increase access to Science and Technology learning materials of the community residents in the three islands, there will also be deployment of the six units of desktop computers with printers for STARBOOKS (Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosks),” Moscoso said.

Antique Assistant Director Jean Edessa Avila represented PSTO during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for the project implementation with UA President Pablo Crespo Jr. on Sept. 12. (PNA)