International Relation Office

From Calabanga to Taiwan: CBSUA Students Advance Global Dreams Through Fully Funded SIAP

What began as an interview on campus has grown into a full-scale international pathway, as the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) strengthens its global footprint by sending College of Industrial Technology students to Taiwan under a fully funded Student Internship Abroad Program (SIAP).

On November 18, 2025, CBSUA–Calabanga’s College of Industrial Technology (COT) hosted representatives from Tong Yeng Motor, Taiwan, for the initial screening of students vying for the six-month international internship program. A total of 116 students from Automotive, Electrical, Electronics, and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology programs underwent interviews, marking a critical milestone in CBSUA’s internationalization efforts.

The Taiwanese delegation led by Mr. Chung Hsin Huang, Mr. Ying Jye Huang, and Mr. Li Hui Tang, outlined the internship structure, industry expectations, and hands-on training opportunities, particularly in green and solar technologies. They emphasized that no prior expertise was required, assuring students that skills development would be conducted step by step.

CBSUA officials led by Dr. Ernesto D. Doloso Jr., Campus Administrator, Dr. Cherry Love Montales, Vice President for Business and External Affairs and Dr. Raquel M. Reapor, Director of the International Relations Office (IRO), and campus coordinators from IRO and ILDO guided students through program requirements and pre-departure processes. The orientation highlighted SIAP’s benefits, which include free accommodation, meals, airfare, insurance, monthly allowance, and nine academic units, with additional language or cultural training.

The initiative is jointly implemented by CBSUA, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (STUST), and Kun Shan University (KSU), partnerships that were further reinforced during a December 11, 2025 strategic meeting in Taiwan, where CBSUA administrators, Dr. Ernesto Doloso Jr., Campus Administrator (Calabanga), Dr. Jennifer Perez, Dean of the College of Industrial Technology (Calabanga),  Prof. Rowel Castuera , Campus Administrator (Sipocot) and Assi. Prof. Ian L. Sagario, ILDO, engaged STUST’s top management to explore expanded academic collaboration, research linkages, and student and faculty exchanges.

Momentum continued as Tong Yeng Motor officials returned on January 19–20, 2026, to conduct final interviews at the Sipocot and Calabanga campuses, narrowing the pool to approximately 80 successful interns (44 from Calabanga Campus). Courtesy visits with university executives underscored institutional support for the program, while final interview panels assessed candidates’ readiness for international training and professional work environments.

Successful applicants were immediately endorsed for the next phase of preparation, bringing them closer to an overseas academic and industry experience that may also open doors to employment or further studies in Taiwan.

Last January 29, 2026, a Pre-Departure Orientation Seminal (PDOS) was conducted among the 44 selected interns from Calabanga Campus to discuss the immigration requirements and other pre-departure preparations.

Through SIAP, CBSUA reaffirms its commitment to providing students with globally experiential learning, industry-aligned training, and expanded career pathways, proving that education at CBSUA no longer stops at the campus gate, but reaches across borders.

Words by Jerome Hipolito

CBSUA, PhilWiki Community boost digital literacy with Wiki Edu Program

The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture and PhilWiki Community’s commitment to promoting digital literacy and open knowledge is strengthened through the expanded CBSUA Wiki Education Program.

Last November 18, the state university and the Wikimedia affiliate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand their partnership, integrating Wikimedia programs into academic and co-curricular activities, and enhancing the digital literacy and writing skills of students. Furthermore, the partnership aims to promote Bikol languages, literature, and culture through Wikimedia projects as well as through training, edit-a-thons, cultural walks, and conferences.

Associate Professor Jerome Hipolito of the College of Education and CBSUA-Calabanga Campus Administrator Jeremy Deloso presented to University President Alberto Naperi the long-term plan of the program: expanding the Wiki OJT program in all campuses; building partnerships with Local Government Units (LGUs) and cultural institutions; and establishing a Center for Open Access Resources, Knowledge Commons, and Large Language Model (LLM), signaling a bold new era for open-access education in the country.

University students, faculty members, and personnel from the Knowledge Management Center and the University Extension Services Office participated in the Intro to Wikipedia and Wiki Referencing Workshop, held at the main campus in Pili, Camarines Sur, and online on December 8, 9, 16, and 17.

During the series of training and webinars on Sources and Citations, thirty (30) third-year Education majors under Hipolito, and thirteen (13) faculty members, personnel, and volunteer students at the University Extension and Services Office were introduced to proper adding of references and citations through the #1Lib1Ref and the ongoing #SheSaid Campaigns. Most participants completed the Wikipedia Training Modules during the Feminism and Folklore Campaign on Bikol Wikipedia last semester.

The Wiki Education program (WikiEdu PH) at CBSUA has steadily expanded its presence within and beyond the university campuses, including Pili, Calabanga, and Sipocot. CBSUA Vice President for Research and Innovation Dariel Palmiano and Extension and Services Office Chairperson Abegail Guinoo supervised the recent training, along with resident Wikipedians Marvin Molin and Leah Sumalinog, who also serve in the PhilWiki Community Board.

From 2023 to 2024, during the pilot implementation of the program at Calabanga campus, two hundred nine (209) university students participated in various Wikipedia campaigns. More than thirty (30) signed up for the CBSUA Wiki Club, which collaborated with Wikipedians in Waseda University-Tokyo to enrich Wikimedia contents about the Philippines and Japan during the Wikimedia Japan-Philippines Friendship Editing Month.

The state university implemented the Wiki OJT program for English majors, integrated Wikimedia-based activities into the month-long celebration of literature, and participated in the Bikol Wikisource Training of Trainers held in Naga City, as well as at the GLAM Wiki Conference PH 2024 held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Recent activities include eight (8) college students participating in the Hablon-Usipon Children’s Book Translation Workshop, translating children’s stories into various Bikol languages through the StoryWeaver open platform. At the 3-day Cebu Wiki Conference, the annual gathering of Wikimedia content creators held last August 22-24, 2025 in Mandaue City, the university was recognized for its groundbreaking efforts in advancing free knowledge and digital literacy.

These partnerships serve as conduits for students and faculty mobility, credit transfer programs, and academic and cultural cooperations.

The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture remains steadfast in its commitment to cultivating sustained international linkages and consortia as integral components of its strategic agenda. The university endeavors to solidify its position as a leading agriculture research university through the principles of Competence, Collaboration, and Co-innovation.

Continued emphasis should be placed on nurturing existing partnerships while actively seeking new international collaboration opportunities. Additionally, efforts to enhance institutional capacity and resource management should remain a priority to ensure the effective implementation of international initiatives.