QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- Twenty-two young agripreneurs from the National Capital Region (NCR) were bestowed recognition during the Provincial Level awarding of the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Program on August 31, 2022.

The following were recognized by the Department of Agriculture as Provincial Level winners of the Young Farmers Challenge and will qualify for the regional level competition:

·         Bianca Camille De Gracia Alvarez, Mang Alimango's Crab Fattening in Home-based Vertical Farm using Recirculatory Aquaculture System (Mandaluyong City);

·         Jay Vee Estacio, Daloy Ilog Aquaponics (Taguig City);

·         Michael Angelo S. Ragasa, Project Potted Plants (Taguig City);

·         Jay-cie Soriano Lota, Fresh Project PH (Valenzuela City);

·         Alexandre Timothy A. Alvarez, Aseptic Agricultural Farming (Pasig City);

·         Robyn Camille Mijares and Sean Ramiel De Guzman, Grow School (Las Piñas City);

·         Jonalyn E. Rivera and Kenn Rienzi P. Camacho, GE and JO CACAO Co. (Quezon City);

·         Marybeth Q. Dineros and Akira Genesis R. Quina, Quin Crab Vertical Crab Farm (Quezon City);

·         Ernest Cedric Lee, Gian Ymanuel Enguerra, and Sheena M. Uy, Caloocan Fresh Greens (Caloocan City);

·         Mhardie Joe De Leon, Crenz Ainah Gacuray, Matthew Lim, and Tristan Jay Pancho, Green Gains PH (Quezon City); and

·         Viper Anie C. Osorio, Christopher T. Mata, Eala Nicole P. Sebastian, and John Lenard G. Esplana, Serenus (Taguig City).

The Young Farmers Challenge is a competitive financial grant assistance program under the Department of Agriculture, intended for the youth who will engage in new agri-fishery enterprises.

The Program is open to all interested youth with proposed agri-fishery enterprises with profitability potential. The grants shall serve as start-up capital for the planned agri-fishery enterprise operated by an individual youth or as a group-managed venture.

The YFC Program has now provided assistance to 1,384 youth beneficiaries. A total of 914 small agri-fishery enterprises will also be established this year—all of which were impressive additions to the 806 youth-led businesses from its first run in 2021.

From the 22 NCR Provincial Level awardees, only a few will advance to the Regional Level and, potentially, the National Level of the YFC Program. The participants are judged based on their business proposal.

Zagana’s Chief Executive Officer Joshua Aragon, who is also a member of the YFC NCR panel of judges have the following advise to those who are interested in joining the program:

“In building up a business model, you have to begin with the end in mind. To see is to believe, but to see it twice is to understand. You start it with the mind—you visualize it, you try to be in that scenario wherein nandoon ka in the future na what’s happening, and you feel na super succeeding ‘yong ginagawa ninyo,” Aragon said.

“And number two, you see it physically or the real world. You go to an actual working environment or working site, and nakikita niyo ‘yong nangyayari,” he added.

“That’s how you validate your vision na kaya pala itong gawin and you can do more on top of it,” Aragon’s final word of advise. (DA/PIA-NCR)