PASIG CITY, Philippines—Around 800 students from various Philippine basic education schools participated in a session of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture's (SEARCA) Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture held on 14 December 2024 at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). This event, organized in partnership with UA&P, aimed to inspire young individuals to engage in agriculture and pursue higher education in agriculture and related fields.
Mr. Francis Perdigon from Perdigon Farm in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Philippines, a licensed agriculturist and the first youth Lakbay Bukid awardee, served as the resource speaker and shared his experiences as a Generation Z farmer. He highlighted the significance of agriculture and its potential as a promising career path.
He discussed sustainable agriculture principles, focusing on increasing food production, improving food consumption, and creating job opportunities. Mr. Perdigon also stressed the importance of nurturing nature responsibly while strengthening communities and ecosystems.
The young participants actively engage in the session
Furthermore, he underscored the significant role of the youth in the agriculture sector as preservers of tradition and sources of hope for the future.
Sowing Seeds is a career orientation initiative organized by the SEARCA Partnerships Unit as part of the Center's Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) program. It aims to foster interest in agriculture among the Southeast Asian youth.
Mr. Francis Perdigon and SEARCA youth ambassadors with Dr. Antonio Torralba, UA&P Professorial Chairholder in Family Life and Youth Education