TOKYO, JAPAN – The Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), together with the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC), conducted the annual operational monitoring for the Young Filipino Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan (YFFLTPJ) last August 24 – September 1, 2023. Part of the activity was the annual meeting between the two agencies to discuss the issues and concerns. recommendations, and plans for the enhancement of the YFFLTPJ.
The meeting was attended by the JAEC Executive Director Takashi Yoshikawa and his staff Nozomi Kaneko. The ATI was represented by Nemielyn Panganiban, OIC-Chief of Partnership and Accreditation Division, Center Director Abdul Daya-an of ATI Regional Training Center (RTC) 12, and Roy Roger D. Victoria II, Media Production Specialist II from ATI RTC CALABARZON. Aleli Maghirang, Agriculture Attaché of the Philippines in Japan, also attended the said meeting.
Yoshikawa presented the results of their monitoring for the first five months of the program implementation which highlighted the performance of the interns as well as the feedback of their host families. On the part of the Philippines, Panganiban discussed the major concerns consolidated from the previous internship program such as the strict implementation of the program guidelines, including the appropriate compensation and stipend of the interns. Both parties agreed on matching the focused commodity with the interns’ interest and host family’s enterprise.
The JAEC and the ATI group surveilled some of the host farms located in Nagano and Yamanashi, Japan. They interviewed the interns’ co-workers and host families about their internship activities to assess the ongoing issues and concerns, document their best practices, and improve the operational methodologies of the program. The team also visited the accommodation provided by their host families to verify their living conditions during their internship in Japan.
Also, the group discussed and visited the venue of the upcoming activities between the agencies coined as the Safe Vegetable Production Technology Dissemination (SAVERS) Program.
