Science and technology interventions in Catanduanes and Masbate are improving livelihoods, expanding educational opportunities and strengthening community resilience, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Tuesday.

In Catanduanes, the province’s abaca industry is being supported through locally developed technologies that help farmers improve fiber quality and access better markets, DOST said in a statement.

DOST-Catanduanes Provincial Director Marie Grace Molina said farmers in San Miguel town are now producing high-quality S2-grade abaca fibers using the Careyan Abaca Stripping Machine, an innovation supported by the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-PTRI).

“The stripping process becomes easier, and the fibers produced are finer because of the special serration design of the blade that we use,” Molina was quoted as saying.

Farmers are now directly supplying their products to AbacaTek, a Mandaluyong-based company engaged in certified abaca textiles manufacturing.

“The advantage of this arrangement is that we have established a direct link with the company, allowing farmers to sell their fibers at a higher price per kilogram compared to selling them through dealers,” she said.

The Careyan Abaca Stripping Knife has been distributed to abaca farmers in Baras town for producing Abaca Pinukpok textiles, a traditional woven fabric that recently secured intellectual property protection for its designs and color patterns.

DOST-Catanduanes is pursuing the proposed PHP41-million HATUN Abaca project and has begun constructing the province’s first Natural Textile Fiber Innovation Hub at Catanduanes State University through a PHP6.1-million grant from DOST-PTRI.

Meanwhile, DOST-Masbate reported gains in expanding access to science education. The agency reached 2,583 students from 37 schools through its Undergraduate Scholarships Caravan and established an additional testing center in San Jacinto, Ticao Island. (PNA)