LEGAZPI CITY, June 2 -- Science and technology interventions in Catanduanes and Masbate are improving livelihoods, expanding educational opportunities and strengthening community resilience, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Tuesday.

In Catanduanes, the province's abaca industry is being supported through locally developed technologies that help farmers improve fiber quality and access better markets, DOST said in a statement.

DOST-Catanduanes Provincial Director Marie Grace Molina said farmers in San Miguel town are now producing high-quality S2-grade abaca fibers using the Careyan Abaca Stripping Machine, an innovation supported by the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-PTRI).

"The stripping...