Ilocos norte: Youth immersion programs in Ilocos Norte province continue to gain ground, focusing on agripreneurship and sustainable farming practices. With ageing farmers, provincial agriculturist Teresa Bacnat on Monday said they have intensified the promotion of immersion programs to students and farm mechanization to encourage the youth to engage in agriculture.
According to Philippines News Agency, Bacnat emphasized that these initiatives offer new hope to elderly farmers in the province, with more young people showing interest in farming as a stable source of livelihood and in ensuring future food security. "When they see for themselves that agriculture is a profitable business, they eventually venture into it," Bacnat stated in an interview.
Seventeen-year-old Ivan Luna, a student of the Ilocos Norte Agricultural College in Pasuquin town, highlighted the significance of agriculture in a Monday interview, saying, "Farming gives us a sustainable source of food and income to support our family. Without agriculture, there is no food to nourish our bodies." Luna, along with four classmates, is participating in a month-long immersion program at Vir-hills Farm in Barangay Saoit, Burgos, Ilocos Norte.
Managed by Precious Jamorabon, Vir-hills Farm is an accredited agro-tourism site offering fresh produce for pick and pay, sales at Kadiwa stores, and agri-trade fairs. The farm also engages in mushroom cultivation, poultry production, and hog production, with some items processed into longganisa and other value-added products to minimize waste.
The immersive experience has inspired students like Ryan Stephen Pablo, Juztine Yanah Nicole Daludado, and Trisha Mae Tangonan to pursue degrees in agriculture and fisheries. "Agriculture is the foundation of life. It's a noble profession and the key to economic growth," the three students shared with the Philippine News Agency. Tangonan further noted that with farm modernization and technological innovation, farming will never become obsolete. Pablo added, "It is a vital industry that ensures food and economics."
For Lorelie Heart Sagucio of Pasuquin town, such immersion programs offer a learning experience beyond the classroom. "It enriches experience in farming, how to do it right, and makes it a profitable source of livelihood," Sagucio remarked.
