Mabalacat City College (MCC) continues to engage in strategic collaborations with industry leaders including Mekeni Food Corporation to develop courses tailored to meet the demands of the food technology and processing sector, aiming to boost employability. MCC’s groundbreaking work in deriving by-products from the Balacat Tree has earned acclaim, culminating in the prestigious Higher Education Award for Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year. The photo features key figures from the partnership: Mekeni executives Apple Garcia and Marilou Olalia-Uy, MCC President Dr. Michelle Aguilar-Ong, and Pampanga Press Club President Noel Tulabut, who also serves as a part-time teacher at MCC. by Noel Tulabut by J. Pelayo IV