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Twenty young farmers and farm leaders from different areas across the country have qualified for the ASEAN Young Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan this year.
Set to undergo 11-month on-farm training with Japanese host farmers starting this April are: Neil Anthony Aban (Masbate), Romel Agrabio (Campostela Valley), Blesslee Anggadol (Kalinga), Billy James Apanti (Catanduanes), Gil Araña (South Cotabato), Jonathan Corea (Camarines Norte), Joselito Cortes (Nueva Vizcaya), Reyzard Dumilag (Negros Occidental), Ronald Echon (Zambales), Romy James (Sultan Kudarat), Joejin Jarcon (Davao del Sur), Anderson Latam (Camarines Sur), Bryan Lucañas (Davao del Norte), Raymart Manong (North Cotabato), Robert Luis Marciano (Ilocos Sur), Ernesto Perlas, Jr. (Nueva Ecija), Rodrigo Segundo (La Union), Andro Shalom (Negros Oriental), Ariel Taniegra (Camarines Norte), and Raffy Tinagan (Negros Oriental).
The said young farmers flew to Japan on April 10 after passing the 75-day Pre-Departure Orientation Course (PDOC) under the Young Filipino Farmers Training Program in Japan (YFFTPJ), which is implemented by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) in collaboration with the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council and Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The PDOC entails basic courses on rice, vegetable, swine, and cattle production, farm business planning, farm mechanization, computer literacy, formal Nihongo, Japanese culture and tradition, values formation and leadership training, among others.
On April 4, the young farmers received certificates of completion at the PDOC commencement ceremony held at the PCAF Apacible Conference Room, Department of Agriculture (DA) Compound, Diliman, Quezon City.
Twenty-five-year-old Echon, who topped the class, gratefully received his certificate and a token of recognition for his performance.
“I’d intended to give it my best from the very beginning and, with my fellow young farmers as inspiration, I was able to achieve my goal. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should not be wasted, and I thank the DA, PCAF and the Japanese Government for giving us this chance,” he said.
PCAF officials led by Exec. Dir. Ariel Cayanan, former Philippine Agricultural Attaché to Japan Joseph Sison, PDOC instructors and mentors, Farm Youth Development Program Coordinators, other partners, and the trainees’ friends and families were also present at the event.
Looking forward
In his speech as president of this year’s batch of trainees, 23-year-old Aban acknowledged that the training in Japan will not be easy especially because of the foreign culture and the geographical distance between them and their families. Nonetheless, Aban knows that, with the knowledge he gained from the PDOC, he’ll be able to overcome difficulties.
“Alam po namin na magiging mahirap ang training namin doon hindi lamang dahil sa malayo kami sa aming mga pamilya kundi po sa bagong kultura. Alam po namin na malaking pagsubok sa amin ang tamang komunikasyon sa magiging host farmer namin doon sa Japan kaya po nagpapasalamat po kami sa aming mga sensei sa kanilang matiyagang pagtuturo at paghahanda sa amin at maipakita po namin na angat ang Pinoy pagdating sa Nihongo,” he said.
[“We know that the training in Japan will not be easy not only because we are away from our families but also because of the new culture. We know that communicating with our Japanese host farmers will be a challenge that’s why we are thankful to our language instructors for their patience in teaching us Japanese and preparing us for our training so that we can show that we, Filipinos, can also excel in Nihongo.”]
Aban, the third in a brood of 10, also thanked all their instructors and mentors for giving them new knowledge and enriching their skills that will help them perform well in their training in Japan.
“We promise to do our best and share whatever we learn from our training with our fellow farmers once we get back home,” he said.
Aban’s older sister, Maria Chrisden Concha, who made sure to attend the PDOC graduation ceremony, could not contain her tears as she expressed her joy on his brother’s achievements.
“It fills me with great pride to see what my brother has achieved in spite of the hardships we’ve had. I am really thankful that he was given this chance. As the eldest male in the family, I am confident that he’ll have a better future now, even though he was not able to finish college, and that he’ll be able to help our parents raise our younger siblings and provide for his future family,” she said.
Life-changing experience
Having a farmer as father, 23-year-old Corea saw a better future in agriculture than in working with computers that, despite having completed a two-year vocational course in computer hardware servicing, he decided to work in their five-hectare farm and join the 4-H Club in their area.
In an interview, Corea revealed that joining the YFFTPJ has altered his outlook in life and that he knows that his training in Japan will bring further good changes.
“Nabigyan po ako ng pag-asa sa mas magandang buhay ng programang ito at naipakita nito na pwede ring maging magandang pagkakakitaan ang pagsasaka. Ang YFFTPJ ay malaking tulong upang mailayo ang mga kabataang tulad ko sa paggawa ng masama at pagtambay,” he said.
[“The program has given me hope for a better life and has shown me that farming can be a good source of livelihood. I think the YFFTPJ is a big help in veering young people like me away from engaging in wrongdoings and idling time away.”]
Flor Olivar, Corea’s mentor during the 75-day home-stay module that precedes the PDOC, echoed the latter’s insight about the program.
Olivar, 43, was a part of batch 1998 of YFFTPJ trainees. Since his return from the Toyama Prefecture, Olivar has been able to grow his own organic farms in different areas in San Vicente, Camarines Norte, as well as develop his piggery and poultry businesses.
The trainee-turned-mentor also joined their Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council in 2007 where he was elected as chairperson in 2012 and treasurer of the Camarines Norte Provincial Agricultural and Fishery Council from 2005 to 2010. Now, he serves as a councilor in Barangay Calabagas.
“The training I had in Japan helped me a lot because it shaped my attitude and developed my skills in farming. It truly was a great experience,” he said.
All-out support
Like any other parents, Ernesto and Josephine Perlas wish nothing but a good life for their son, Ernesto, Jr. More than that, however, they believe that it is important that their son will be a good role model to his fellow young farmers and be always helpful to those in need.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Panginoon sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon na ibinigay sa aming anak. Naniniwala ako na ito ay pagkakataon para siya ay makapagbahagi ng mga biyaya sa ibang taong mas mahirap pa sa kanya. Basta may sipag at tiyaga, alam namin na mapagtatagumpayan niya ang kanyang pagsasanay,” the senior Ernesto said. He, his wife, and Ernesto, Jr.’s adopted brothers and fellow 4-H youth were in full force during the PDOC commencement ceremony.
[“We thank the Lord for the unexpected opportunity given to our son. I believe that this is a chance for him to share blessings to those less fortunate than him. With diligence and perseverance, we know that he will do a great job in his training.”]
A Nursing undergrad, Ernesto, Jr. had been helping his father manage their farm in Palayan City before he was selected for the YFFTPJ. He also served as the president of their local 4-H Club and has encouraged many young farmers to join them and cultivate their knowledge and skills on farming.
Ernesto, Jr. shared that because of the strong support given to them by the local DA office and local government unit, their organization has remained active over the years and is able to pursue various projects, one of which is the peanut butter production they’ve started around two years ago.
Because of the success of the project, the group was granted a loan from the Agricultural Training Institute amounting to P55,000 which they plan to use in purchasing some materials they need for the project such as a grinding machine.
“It is a truly a privilege to be chosen as trainee of the YFFTPJ. I thank all of those who have been supporting us from the start and I promise that we will impart our learning to our respective communities,” Ernesto, Jr., who also serves as the batch’s vice president, said.
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| PCAF Exec. Dir. Ariel Cayanan congratulates this year’s YFFTPJ participants and hopes that more young farmers like them seize the opportunity to help foster the growth of the country’s agriculture sector. |
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| Ronald Echon of Candelaria, Zambales humbly shakes hands with Office of the PCAF Deputy Executive Director OIC Alexander Daroya after receiving his hard-earned certificate of completion. |
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| Batch president Neil Anthony Aban thanks all the people and organizations that continue to help young farmers like them develop their families’ farms and allow them not only to hone their farming skills but also to propagate their learning in their communities. |
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| Batch vice president Ernesto Perlas, Jr. leads the YFFTPJ Pledge of Commitment during the PDOC commencement ceremony. |
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| Twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Corea (second from right) proudly recites the YFFTPJ Pledge of Commitment along with his fellow trainees |
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