DILIMAN, Quezon City – More agricultural and social enterprises are seen to be established this year, through the Binhi ng Pag-asa Program (BPP), with the youth leaders as the primary movers.
Particularly, some students from selected universities in Metro Manila, who are also BPP members, were provided with starter kits in support to their mission to develop various small-scale agri-based and social enterprises. These students were the participants during the BPP National Training of Trainers conducted last year.
A total of 20 agri-fisheries kits were distributed during a ceremonial turnover and BPP project launch for 2023 in Quezon and Masbate provinces. This was graced by the Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary and Chief-of-Staff Rex Estoperez, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Director Remelyn Recoter, Assistant Director Antonieta Arceo, and Chief for Political Affairs in the Office of Senator Grace Poe Jyleazar Dela Rosa.
During the ceremony, ASec. Estoperez, who represented Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, expressed his appreciation to the young leaders.
“You have stepped forward in the moment when the Philippine agriculture needs the most,” he said, citing the sector’s problem on aging farmers.
He urged the BPP youth beneficiaries to constantly find ways on how to “convert challenges into opportunities” in the agriculture and fishery.
Similarly, the ATI Director stressed the importance of the youth in nation-building, especially in the agriculture sector, as a key driver in development.
“We aspire to help young people by equipping them with necessary, timely, and relevant skills and knowledge, as well as actual means to enable their agripreneurship journey,” Recoter said.
She thanked the OSGP for the strong partnership for the program, which has been running for many years now and geared towards helping the youth become “the next young leaders, scientists, and researchers in the sector.”
The BPP youth beneficiaries will be tapped during the program roll-out this year in the provinces of Quezon and Masbate tentatively from May to November.
Moreover, the agricultural enterprises that they will soon develop will serve as demo sites during the roll-out, targeting 777 youth leaders this year. As of 2022, there are 15,017 BPP beneficiaries.
The ceremonial turnover, held last April 20, was also attended online by Masbate Governor Antonio Kho, Assistant Provincial Agriculturist of Quezon Ma. Leonellie Dimalaluan, as well as Center Directors Rolando Maningas and Elsa Parot of the ATI Regional Training Centers in CALABARZON and Bicol, respectively.
