Four second-year BS Agribusiness students from Cebu Technological University – Barili Campus took a bold step toward their future as agripreneurs by joining the month-long AGROENTREPRENEURSHIP NC II training held in Bacolod City.
The intensive program was spearheaded by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in partnership with the School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED).
Representing CTU Barili and the College of Agriculture, Food Science, Agribusiness, and Development Communication (CAFBC) were students Jiffireld Somerano, Chivon Florendo, Leandro Rafael Abellanosa, and Kaye Marie Jaime, all eager to gain real-world skills and broaden their understanding of agribusiness outside the classroom walls.
For Jiffireld Somerano, one of the student-participants, the opportunity to train in Bacolod was more than just academic. “𝘔𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴,” he shared.
The training was introduced to them by one of their instructors, whose encouragement played a key role in their participation. “𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦,” Jiffireld noted. “𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘛𝘜.”
Throughout the program, the students immersed themselves in both classroom-based and hands-on activities, ranging from market surveys to daily afternoon farm training. Among the many insights gained, Jiffireld emphasized that attitude mattered just as much as knowledge.
The experience also gave him a deeper appreciation for innovation and planning in agribusiness. “𝘈𝘎𝘙𝘖𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘙𝘌𝘗𝘙𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘜𝘙𝘚𝘏𝘐𝘗 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺,” he said. Quoting a well-known adage, he added, “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭”
Despite the language barrier in some of the communities they visited, Cebuano and Hiligaynon did not always align, Jiffireld found the challenges worthwhile. “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵.”
Now back in CTU Barili, Jiffireld hopes to put what he learned into action. “𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯. 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴.”
Representing the university in a national capacity is something he holds with great pride. To his fellow Agribusiness students who may want to join similar programs, his advice is bold and fearless: “𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥. 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦.”
The participation of CTU Barili’s Agribusiness students in the AGROENTREPRENEURSHIP NC II training is a testament to their drive, resilience, and commitment to shaping the future of Philippine agriculture. With passion in their minds and soil on their hands, these young agripreneurs are not just cultivating crops, they’re cultivating change.
by: Jj Pahayahay/The Farm