THE MARIANO Marcos State University and the City Government of Batac have joined forces to strengthen community-based tourism and hospitality development.

A memorandum of agreement was signed between MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr. and Batac City Mayor Mark Christian “Markee” R. Chua, represented by City Councilor Eleuterio A. Salamangkit Jr.

The partnership engages MMSU’s College of Business, Economics and Accountancy to train barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, as well as women’s groups, through the BS Tourism Management and BS Hospitality Management programs.

The collaboration will roll out two flagship projects under the Community and Enterprise Development Program (CEDP):

Project GINTO – promoting sustainable farm tourism through customer service training, tour guiding, tourism enterprise development, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) basics.

Project STARS – offering seminars on farm-to-table experiences, food innovation, homestay readiness, leisure and heritage activation, and sustainable food practices.

Councilor Salamangkit said the partnership will give students valuable hands-on experience while providing lasting benefits to local communities.

President Manzano emphasized the university’s commitment to “create meaningful impact at the grassroots level.”

The Dap-ayan Ni Mannalon Site, a community-managed farmhouse in every barangay, will serve as the hub for these projects and as a model for sustainable tourism and hospitality practices.

“With this partnership, MMSU and the City Government of Batac reaffirm their shared vision of promoting local culture, agriculture, and innovation to build thriving and sustainable communities,” the university said.