S&T scholar-graduates promote careers in agriculture during the Agyamanak DOST forum
For its sixth virtual episode, Agyamanak DOST! features former S&T scholar-graduates who are now engaged in agriculture.
Loida P. Pacursa, a DOST-Science Education Institute scholar-graduate and Senior Agriculturist at the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office I (DA RFO I), introduced Mentoring and Attracting Youth in Agri-business (MAYA) and Kapital Access for Young Agripreneurs (KAYA) to encourage students to engage into agriculture.
MAYA is a six (6)-month mentorship program that aims to develop competent, highly skilled, and employment-ready youthful workforce. It also aims to build a robust workforce with the right attitude at the workplace, acquired experience, skills, and competencies necessary in the economic transformation of the Philippine agriculture sector.
Through this program, interns will gain experience and network in the following fields of agriculture and agribusiness, namely: input production, farm operations and management, equipment and supplies manufacturing, food and non-food processing, and marketing, trading, and retailing.
Meanwhile, KAYA is a loan facility for qualified young agripreneurs at zero (0%) interest to finance the capital requirements of their startup or existing farm/fishery business. KAYA aims to attract the younger generation of Filipinos to be key players in attaining a food-secure Philippines with prosperous farmers and fishers.
These programs of the DA are offered and implemented in support to the attainment of food security and resiliency in the country.
As a DOST scholar, Pacursa gave a sound advice to the students who also wish to be DOST scholars. “Sa mga nangangarap na maging scholar, ang kahirapan sa buhay ay hindi hadlang as pagkamit sa ating pangarap. Kaya kapag may mga opportunity especially mga scholarship na gaya ng binibigay ng DOST, grab the opportunity and make the most out of it. At sa mga nagbabalak na mag-engage into agriculture, wag kayong mangamba dahil sa panahon ngayon, marami nang programs and projects ang DA na inooffer.”
On the other hand, Stephenleigh A. Guittap, DOST-SEI scholar-graduate, introduced the Kaya sa Pagkaka-ISAKA Project that also promotes agriculture as a viable livelihood opportunity.
This project is a collaborative effort of the DOST scholars, Sangguniang Kabataan, Sangguniang Barangay, and farmers associations to rekindle the desire for agriculture among the community members and existing farmers engaged in backyard gardening and community gardening and to empower farmers by providing them with marketing strategies.
This project exemplifies three salient features: 1) Backyard Gardens, 2) Community Gardens and 3) Farmers/Farmers’ Association support. Moreover, the project will also address the underlying issues in waste management that will have a great impact to the environment.
This initiative, through unity, will prove that agriculture can still stand on the concept that it is the backbone of the economy. Thus, “Kaya ng Pagsasaka kung may Pagkaka-isa.”
These programs of the DA and the DOST scholar-graduates will prove that in agriculture, no one will be left behind.
