The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development and the MMSU Extension Directorate, in partnership with the City Government of Batac, conducted a community orientation on microgreens production on September 22, 2026, at the Barangay Hall of Quiling Norte, City of Batac.

Led by Project Leader Dr. Raymund Julius G. Rosales, with team members Ms. Jovy Anne I. Pedro and Ms. Glisten Faith S. Pascua, the activity brought together 30 participants from various local barangays. Mr. Ricardo Sibucao from the City Agriculture Office and Batac City Councilor Rizalino P. Castillo attended the event, with Councilor Castillo confirming the local government's support for the project. During the session, Dr. Rosales discussed microgreen varieties, growing containers, suitable substrates, and practical marketing strategies.

This orientation activity shows clear progress in implementing MMSU's three-year urban agriculture project, which runs through December 2028 to address food security and local livelihoods. It serves as the bridge between early administrative planning and direct community implementation.

Project progress began in February 2026 with an inception meeting alongside the MMSU Extension Directorate to align operations with university standards. The team then met with the Mayor and City Agriculturist of Batac on March 9, 2026, to establish local government partnerships and select target barangays. Shortly after, on March 26, 2026, MMSU submitted a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to formalize partnership with the city government.  

Building directly on the pre-implementation activities, the September orientation prepared local beneficiaries for upcoming technical activities. MMSU will proceed with the MOA Signing and hands-on skills training in October 2026. By November 2026, the team plans to conduct three training workshops and establish three communal microgreen production setups across selected urban barangays, followed by continuous monitoring and technical assistance. (Joy D. Acdan, ED Staff)

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