The skills and training titled "Skills Training on Turmeric and Ginger Turmeric Products for the Indigenous People" was
successfully completed on January 17, 2023, through to the collaboration of the Department of Science and Technology,
Tarlac State University, and the Local Government Unit.
The initiative was still a facet of the DOST's E-CEST initiative, which aims to give indigenous people in the designated
municipalities of Tarlac Province access to, instruction in, and development of food processing skills and competencies. The
Community Empowerment Through Science and Technology initiative is another significant DOST program (CEST). In
response to the government's National Poverty Alleviation Program, it was developed. Building creative, capable, and
resilient rural areas is CEST's goal.
Ms. Christine Janelle Santiago, a faculty from the College of Business and Accountancy and served as the entry point
coordinator of the said project. Also, she gave some ideas on the importance of establishing good and quality businesses
and on how to prosper them in accordance with complying protocols and technical procedures. Furthermore, she gave a
hint regarding to the upcoming projects of e-CEST-DOST wherein will be supervise by their college experts.
Additionally, Mr. Bon Ibarra, a technical staff from Food Technology and Research Center under Production Services Unit,
demonstrated the proper usage and the DO’s and DON’T’s of the equipment or machine donated by the DOST, including a
food dehydrator for extracting the water content of any root crops and vegetables; vegetable slicer for getting the desired
thickness and thinness of raw materials, — particularly vegetables and fruits; and a pulverizer machine for crushing the
processed raw materials into powder.
Furthermore, a food technologist from the College of Science, Ms. Kristine Mae Ipan, also gave a demonstration on how to
create ginger-turmeric tea with lemon grass using turmeric powder. Also, she imparts technical knowledge in producing
ready-to-drink juice with the use of blended jackfruit which was served as the flavor of the said product. During her
demonstration she emphasized the technical steps, including the measuring of each recipes and procedures should be apply
in processing the food product such as the sterilization and product preservation.
On the other hand, Ms. Mary Katherine Apolonio, a food technologist from the College of Science, demonstrated the
procedures on how to make ginger-turmeric pickled mango and goes over the correct measurements and technical
processes. Following precise method, ingredients, and measures was essential to achieving the ideal taste, which can also
help to extend the shelf-life of the items, as other experts have done.
The SDGs 01: No Poverty, 04: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 10: Decent Work and Economic Growth were also impacted.
The DOST and TSU's implementation of skills training benefits our indigenous people, who are viewed as having less
favorable life circumstances. As a result, the project's main objective was to give them the chance to develop their own
goods using local resources as raw materials.
