The Agricultural Training Institute in MIMAROPA conducted a culminating activity on February 27, 2025, for the ten dedicated interns of the Youth Internship Program on Organic Agriculture (YIPOA) Batch 2, who successfully completed their nine-month classroom learning and farm training with their farm partners at the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA, Barcenaga, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
During the program, ATI-MIMAROPA Center Director Pat Andrew B. Barrientos extended his congratulations to the interns through a video message. Meanwhile, Assistant Center Director, Mr. Norberto C. Maur inspired them to persevere and be more dedicated to farming.
โKapag narinig, madaling malimutan; kapag ginawa, matagal makalimutan. Kapag laging ginagawa, magiging habit na iyon. Ang pagsasaka ay hindi lamang natututo sa apat na taon o walong taong pag-aaral. Sa ating ginagawa, dapat may plano, panalangin, at trabaho - tatlong sangkap para sa matagumpay na pagsasakaโ, Mr. Maur shared.
Aside from receiving a certificate of completion and tokens, the interns were also granted initial financial assistance of PhP150,000.00 to support the implementation of their farm business ventures, which are expected to be completed within the next 12 months. The following are the business enterprises of the interns:
- ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฌ (Torres Vermiculture Farm)
- ๐๐ข๐๐ค๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ ๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐ฐ๐ (Chili-Rick's Organic Chili Oil)
- ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง ๐. ๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ (Lokal Organik Meat Farm)
- ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐. ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ง (Organic Rice Production)
- ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐. ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ (Organic Aquaculture)
- ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ง ๐. ๐๐๐ณ๐จ๐ง (Free-Range Poultry Farming/Egg Production)
- ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐จ ๐. ๐๐ฎรฑ๐๐ ๐๐๐ (Baldo's Agri-Farm)
- ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ณ ๐๐ซ. (Hog Raising)
- ๐๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐. ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐ง (Organic Sow Herd Production)
- ๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ ๐. ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ (Raise Organic Swine)
Among the guests at the culminating activity were the farm partners from Mary Help of Christians School (Mindoro), Inc., Gabutero Organic Farm, and Lolaโs Healthy Farm, Inc., where the interns acquired their knowledge and skills in organic agriculture during their internship. Representatives from the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office in MIMAROPA and the Provincial Agriculturistโs Office of Oriental Mindoro also attended the event.
