Education/News/January 2026/CBSUA boosts Open Knowledge and Local Culture through expanded Wiki Education Program
CBSUA boosts Open Knowledge and Local Culture through expanded Wiki Education Program
The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture continues to highlight its growing commitment to open knowledge and digital literacy through the CBSUA Wiki Education Program.
The PhilWiki Community and the state university signed an MOU last November 18 to strengthen their partnership, integrating Wikimedia programs into academic and co-curricular activities, enhancing the digital literacy and writing skills of the students. Furthermore, the partnership aims to promote Bikol languages, literature, and culture through Wikimedia projects as well as 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.
Recent initiatives include participating in the Hablon-Usipon Children’s Book Translation Workshop to translate children’s stories into various Bikol languages in partnership with PB Writers Inc.; the Wikimedia Japan-Philippines Friendship Editing Month to enrich Wikimedia contents and strengthen collaboration between the Philippines and Japan, in partnership with Wikipedians in Waseda University Tokyo; and the 3-day Cebu Wiki Conference, the annual gathering of Wikimedia content creators held last August 22-24, 2025 in Mandaue City where the Philippine Wikimedia affiliate recognized CBSUA for its groundbreaking efforts in advancing free knowledge and digital literacy.
During the first year of the Wiki Education program, the state university implemented the pilot Wiki OJT program for English majors, the integration of Wikimedia-based activities into LitFest, a month-long celebration of literature hosted by the College of Education, and the participation of thirteen (13) university students in the Bikol Wikisource Training of Trainers in Naga City, and eight (8) representatives comprising faculty, personnel and students at the GLAM Wiki Conference PH 2024 held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
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Presentation -
CBSUA and PH-WC -
PH-WC Secretary and President -
VP on Finance representing CBSUA President and VP on Research and Innovation -
Group photo
