Guinobatan: The Bicol University's (BU) Guinobatan Campus is currently hosting a four-day Agri-Festival that commenced on Tuesday, focusing on agricultural products, innovations, and technologies. The event aims to inspire young individuals to consider agriculture as a promising career and industry.
According to Philippines News Agency, the festival, themed "POSTHARVEST: Promoting Opportunities for Sustainable Transformation, Harnessing Agri-Aqua Resources for Value-Addition in Empowering Stakeholders and Technology," features 99 exhibitors. It includes seminars, campus tours, and various activities designed to strengthen ties among the academe, farmers, producers, students, and other stakeholders, promoting sustainable agricultural development.
Dr. Roscefe Dy, dean of BU-Guinobatan, reported an increase in student enrollment this academic year, with a total of 1,513 students, up from 1,480 the previous year. The rise is notably seen in agriculture-related programs, such as Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA), which surpassed its target enrollment of 70 percent by reaching 80 percent. Additionally, the campus exceeded its targets for Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (BSABE), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and Bachelor of Science in Development Communication (BS DevCom).
The campus is also developing a new curriculum for a BSA major in Precision Agriculture, which is expected to be presented this year and offered by 2028. The Agri-Festival is one of the initiatives aimed at encouraging more students to pursue agriculture-related courses. "We have several seminar series where we invited senior high school students and conducted campus tours for them to realize that there is beauty in agriculture," Dy stated.
The festival also features influencer Ethan Hernandez, who will discuss forestry on September 10, and successful BU-Guinobatan alumni in the agriculture sector will conduct seminar sessions throughout the event. Dy encouraged public participation, emphasizing the importance of supporting local farmers and producers.
Meanwhile, BU president Baby Boy Benjamin Nebres III highlighted the festival's theme, emphasizing the potential for value creation beyond agricultural production. "Agriculture does not end when we harvest. In fact, that is where another harvest begins, and that is the harvest of opportunity," he remarked. He stressed the importance of postharvest transformation and value addition, urging the sector to focus on creating value through technology, innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and education.
Nebres also encouraged young people to view agriculture as a future-focused industry. "The future of agriculture is not simply about producing more; it is about producing smarter, better, and sustainably, competitively," he said.
