The Central Bicol State University of Agriculture and PhilWiki Community’s commitment to promoting digital literacy and open knowledge is strengthened through the expanded CBSUA Wiki Education Program.
Last November 18, the state university and the Wikimedia affiliate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand their partnership, integrating Wikimedia programs into academic and co-curricular activities, and enhancing the digital literacy and writing skills of students. Furthermore, the partnership aims to promote Bikol languages, literature, and culture through Wikimedia projects as well as through 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.
From 2023 to 2024, during the pilot implementation of the program at Calabanga campus, two hundred nine (209) university students participated in various Wikipedia campaigns. More than thirty (30) signed up for the CBSUA Wiki Club, which collaborated with Wikipedians in Waseda University-Tokyo to enrich Wikimedia contents about the Philippines and Japan during the Wikimedia Japan-Philippines Friendship Editing Month.
The state university implemented the Wiki OJT program for English majors, integrated Wikimedia-based activities into the month-long celebration of literature, and participated in the Bikol Wikisource Training of Trainers held in Naga City, as well as at the GLAM Wiki Conference PH 2024 held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Recent activities include eight (8) college students participating in the Hablon-Usipon Children’s Book Translation Workshop, translating children’s stories into various Bikol languages through the StoryWeaver open platform. At the 3-day Cebu Wiki Conference, the annual gathering of Wikimedia content creators held last August 22-24, 2025 in Mandaue City, the university was recognized for its groundbreaking efforts in advancing free knowledge and digital literacy.
Spreading the Spirit of Free Knowledge 