The program was successfully conducted on November 27, 2025, at Brgy. Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora, with a total of 100 participants. The activity aimed to enhance the livelihood and income-generating capacities of members of the Ditumabo Coconut and Livestock Farmers Association (DICOLIFA) by equipping them with practical knowledge and technical skills.
The activity began with the registration of participants, followed by the introduction of the partner institutions that made the program possible, including the Aurora State College of Technology-School of Agriculture, School of Engineering, and the Extension and Rural Development Office, the DICOLIFA, with support from the Ditumabo Barangay LGU, and the Municipal Agriculturist’s Office of San Luis.
Mr. Jomer Mangawang, serving as the master of ceremony, warmly welcomed the participants and introduced Hon. Marlon Amazona, Barangay Captain of Ditumabo, San Luis, Aurora, who delivered the welcome remarks. Cap. Amazona highlighted the promising opportunities in mushroom production and encouraged participants to deepen their knowledge to benefit from this livelihood fully. He was followed by Mrs. Pilar Caberto, DICOLIFA President, who delivered the opening remarks. She expressed her gratitude for the positive response to their request, encouraged her co-members to apply the skills they would learn as an additional source of income, and conveyed her appreciation for the partnership with ASCOT, which will continue for the next three years.
The technical session was facilitated by Dr. Jonah G. Zante and Mrs. Eden Joy V. Manalo, faculty members from the School of Agricultural Sciences who served as resource speakers. The participants in the training included members of DICOLIFA, as well as the punong barangay.
Dr. Zante presented the topic “Mushroom Production and Mushroom By-products, and Volvariella volvacea Production.” Participants listened attentively as she discussed the importance of mushrooms to human health, the different types of edible mushrooms, and the various mushroom by-products she has developed. She also explained the materials and step-by-step procedures for cultivating Volvariella volvacea outdoors. Before concluding, Dr. Zante encouraged participants interested in further training to send a request letter to the ASCOT Extension Unit or coordinate through Engr. Banania.
Mrs. Manalo continued the session with her discussion on “Procedures on Mushroom Production,” focusing specifically on oyster mushroom cultivation. She detailed the materials needed for preparing fruiting bags, proper culture management practices, and guided the participants through a hands-on demonstration on fruiting bag preparation and mushroom spawn inoculation. The collaborative effort proved highly successful, as each participant was able to produce fruiting bags with mushroom spawn using the materials provided both by the school and by the participants themselves.
The activity concluded with expressions of appreciation from the participants, particularly Mrs. Sheila Safor, Mrs. Roselia Pimentel, Mrs. Tessie Mauro, Mr. Maynard Pimentel, and Mr. Roden Hagosojos. Engr. Amarlo A. Banania, PhD., closed the session by conveying heartfelt gratitude to the participants for their active engagement and announced potential future collaborative activities with the association. A photo documentation session followed to commemorate the successful conduct of the training. The program officially ended at 5:00 p.m.
