A free fish deboning training was facilitated by Central Philippines State University’s Gender and Development (GAD) Office on September 24, 2025, aimed at empowering local community beneficiaries.

 The livelihood training catered to thirty trainees from four partner barangays in the City of Kabankalan, namely Binicuil, Camingawan, Tagukon, and 3, and primarily aimed to upskill Kabankalanons in value-adding techniques for raw and cooked fish products—improving their product marketability and vending strategies.

 Dr. Rhoda Aguilos, CPSU–Ilog Campus Administrator and fisheries expert, served as the resource person as she delivered a lecture on the subject matter and provided trainees with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the skeletal structure of milkfish.

 Dr. Aguilos also demonstrated the fish deboning procedure and supervised the trainees as they applied what they learned during her lecture and demonstration.

 Trainees showed keen interest as they listened to the lecture and engaged in the hands-on activity, recognizing the benefits of the training in upgrading their local food products and preventing unwanted health risks among consumers associated with improper fish deboning practices.

 The training focused on milkfish, or bangus, as the primary training material, given its widespread availability in local markets as a product of Negros Island’s local fishing industry.

 The training is a manifestation of the GAD Office’s (headed by Director Shirley A. Calugcugan) and the university’s goal of providing efficient and quality gender-sensitive products and services.