## 3 Results and Discussion
### Nutrient Mineralization Activities of Bacteria in Vermicasts
eugeniae_ were reported to have P-solubilizing microbes such as _Streptosporangium_ species [55] and _A. caviae_ and _B. xianenensis_[51]. Microbes capable of P solubilization were also isolated from other earthworm species such as _Po. corethurus_ vermicasts with acid phosphatase enzymes and rock phosphate-solubilizing microbes [14]. High phosphatase activity was also evident among _L. mauritii_, _Pe. excavatus_, _Po. corethurus_, and _Pheretima elongata_ [PERSON], 1872, causing the release of more inorganic P through mineralization [56]. Among these, vermicasts of _Pe. excavatus_ showed the highest phosphatase activity, indicative of its potential in organic matter mineralization. The passage of organic matter in the gut converts some P into a more available form, which is continued in vermicasts by P-solubilizing microbes [57]. Vermicomposting offers beneficial applications in agriculture, primarily in enhancing plant growth and soil substrate [15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28] owing to the diverse species of bacteria [1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14] and high nutrient content [15; 16; 17; 18; 19] present in vermicasts. Bacteria capable of nitrogen fixation and phosphate and potassium solubilization make the essential macronutrients readily available for plant uptake, resulting in improved quantity and quality of growth [15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 59]. Microbial activities also influence soil restoration and augment soil structure, including increased porosity, water-holding capacity, and aggregate stability [60; 61; 62]. More than 170 vermicomposting systems were established in Cuba by 1994 replacing the need for 40 tons/hectare of livestock manure with 4 tons/hectare of vermicomposts. In Havana, Vivero Alamar Organoponico produces 300 tons of vermicasts per year. Production of a ton of organic fertilizer costs around USD 0.55, considerably cheaper than purchasing chemical fertilizer (40 USD/ton). In Sancti Spiritus, Finca de Casimiro established in 1993 also employed earthworms in the successful remediation of severely contaminated land used to be planted with tobacco [63]. This highlights the potential of vermicomposting as a promising alternative to chemical and synthetic inputs for sustainable agriculture. In the Philippines, the Los Banos Folia Tropica vermificality in Laguna Province has been successfully culturing _P. losbanosensis_ and mass-producing vermicasts for commercial purposes for more than a decade already. Based on the observations of Dr. [PERSON], who is managing the facility, indigenous earthworms in his facility have better cast yields and improved plant growth in comparison with _E. eugeniae_. Interestingly, our results uncover the presence of diverse bacterial communities inhabiting the vermicasts of _P. losbanosensis_ possessing nutrient mineralization and carbon substrate utilization activities, which are significantly higher than those of _E. eugeniae_. Bacterial species identified herein, including _A. ferrireducens_[64], _Arboricoccus pini_[65], _A. olearius_[66; 67; 68], _Bradyrhizobium nambiense_[69], _Chitinophaga ginsengigetis_[70], _Chitinophaga polysaccharidesa_[71], _Flavorobacterium ensliense_[72], _Frankia discariae_[73], _Geobacter luticola_[74], _Herbuspirillum robiniae_[75; 76; 77], _Luteitala pratensis_[78], _Methylosinus trichosporium_[79], _Nitrospira moscoviensis_[80], _Paludibaculum fermentatus_[78], _Pelobacter propionicus_[81], _Pseudomonas oryzae_[82], _Roseiarcus fermentatus_[83], and _Solirubrobacter ginsengidimutans_[84], were reported to be beneficial in the growth of plants like rice, grape, peanut, pine, blueberry, duckweed, legumes, beans, grass, and ornamental plants. Moreover, species of bacteria identified from the vermicasts of _P.