Kawomenan Innovation and Inclusive Development: Samahan ng Kababaihan tungo sa Kaunlaran (SAMAKA), Multi-Commodity Solar Tunnel Dryer and the Breadfruit Program of Marinduque State College Gender Advancement and Development

Kawomenan is a longterm documentary project initiated by the Marinduque State College Gender Advancement Unit. With the primary lens of innovation and inclusive development in the province of Marinduque. Kawomenan seeks to look at the contribution of women in their respective communities. Marinduque, considered to be the center of the Philippines, has only six towns (Sta. Cruz, Buenavista, Mogpog, Boac, Gasan and Torrijos). The idea is, gender concerns and issuers are also human, not only women’s. Therefore, from the stereotype that women only does the domestic chores and contribute little to development. Kawomenan hopes to demystify and clarify. Marinduque is known for its lenten rites which in the last 30 years or so became a tourist destination.

To address the recurring needs/problems in the upland Barangay in Boac, Marinduque, MSC GAD put a women's organization in a particular town in the province. amahan ng Kababaihan tungo sa Kaunlaran (SAMAKA) was organized in Brgy.Agot, Agumaymayan, Daypay, Apitong, Sawi, Balimbing, Puyog, Bantay and Boton. SAMAKA aimed to generate additional income for the members of SAMAKA communities. Later on, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and  Mechanization (PhilMech) provided MSC with a multi-commodity solar tunnel dryer with the objective of enhanching the SAMAKA communities food production and processing capabilities.  According to PhilMech, the MCSTD technology was adapted as a viable alternative to sundrying and use of commercial mechanical dryers. This is inline with the college's flagship program on Breadfruit.

Based on Castro, Andam and Malvar, Breadfruit or locally known as Rimas is one of the widely distributed fruit-bearing trees in Marinduque, which during lean seasons serve as source of carbohydrates among households in the interior and coastal areas of the province. The mature fruits are generally boiled and mixed with sugar and some are chopped and boiled as food for hogs. Mature Rimas fruits were gathered from the trees found in Boac Campus and the extraction, processing and baking of the starch were done in the Food Technology Laboratory of the College. The extracted starch were made into waffle bread, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, leche flan, panganan and polvoron at different proportions with commercial flour.