DILIMAN, Quezon City - The 48 young farmers who recently completed their internship program in Taiwan returned to the country and attended the Post-training Evaluation and Re-entry Planning Workshop conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).
The young farmers comprised the third batch of interns for the Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program in Taiwan (FYFIPT), who were dispatched last year for their 11-month intensive on-site farm training. The FYFIPT is a partnership of ATI with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines that aims to enhance existing relations through an internship program for qualified young Filipino farmers.
ATI Director Remelyn R. Recoter welcomed the participants, highlighting their experiences as milestones in their lives and the younger generation's role in advancing the country's agricultural sector.
Recoter urged the participants to apply the knowledge they gained from the program in their respective communities and farms. She also conveyed the assurance of the continued support of the Department of Agriculture through the Regional Field Offices, the various agricultural training and extension services offered by the ATI, as well as the services being offered by the Agricultural Credit Policy Council through its special loan program, the Kapital Access for Young Agripreneurs or KAYA Program. She added that the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is also offering the Fisheries Scholarship Program for the fisherfolk's children to further enhance the capabilities of the younger generations.
“Your insights and experiences would be consolidated, documented, translated, and packaged into knowledge products to inspire more young farmers and would-be farmers to adopt the modern approach to agriculture and fisheries,” Recoter said.
The young farmer interns then proceeded to share their knowledge and experiences in terms of the five key aspects namely, the learning learned, perceived effects of the program in self-development, best practices, problems encountered, and recommendations for the improvement of the program. These aspects allowed the interns to assess the challenges they faced during their internship program in a foreign country and to ensure that the gained knowledge would be effectively applied upon their return.
The ATI initially provided after-training support worth Php 50,000 to each intern as startup capital for their agricultural business ventures. In August, as part of their program requirements, the young farmer interns will reconvene to pitch their re-entry plans, showcasing the technologies they learned during their internship. The three best re-entry projects will be awarded an additional Php 150,000.
A meet and greet with the new batch likewise occurred to share their experiences and express their wishes as the new batch would be departing for Taiwan. Furthermore, a mental health debriefing with expert Dr. Emerson Aliswag was conducted among the young farmer interns to determine any symptoms of depression or suicidal ideation following their 11-month stay in a foreign country.
The activity took place at the RDEC Function Hall, ATI compound, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City from July 10 to 13, 2024.
