The participants of the Information Caravan on Organic Agriculture gathered for a group photo .

SORSOGON CITY – The Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center V (ATI Bicol) successfully conducted an Information Caravan on Organic Agriculture on March 13, 2025, in Sorsogon City. The event gathered 50 participants, including Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs), farmer leaders, students, and youth, to promote awareness and participation in organic farming initiatives.

The primary objective of the caravan was to introduce and encourage enrollment in the Youth Internship Program on Organic Agriculture (YIPOA), a specialized internship designed to develop the interest and skills of young individuals in organic agriculture. The program offers selected interns a monthly stipend and start-up support to kickstart their proposed organic farming ventures.

Ms. Justine Rose C. Tubig, ATI Bicol’s Organic Agriculture Focal Person, presented an overview of the event and provided an in-depth discussion of the YIPOA program. She highlighted how the program serves as a platform to equip young farmers with the necessary knowledge and entrepreneurial support to establish organic farming enterprises. Notably, she pointed out that Masbate had the highest number of applicants for Batch 3, while Sorsogon and Catanduanes had fewer enrollees, prompting the need for this information caravan to encourage more applicants for Batch 4, set to commence in November 2025.

Ms. Tubig elaborated on the YIPOA program’s goals, including expanding agricultural land dedicated to organic farming, increasing the number of certified organic farmers, and developing viable organic agribusinesses. She outlined the eligibility criteria, required documents, and selection process for both interns and accredited farm partners.

Furthermore, she explained the financial support mechanism, detailing that interns would receive financial assistance upon signing a Scholarship Contract, while enterprise funding would be provided in the final phase of the internship upon approval of their Business Enterprise Plan (BEP). Farm partners would also receive financial assistance upon signing a Memorandum of Agreement and complying with accreditation requirements.

The event concluded with the awarding of certificates of participation to attendees.