DILIMAN, Quezon City—Officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Taipei Economic Cultural Office (TECO), together with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), conveyed messages of support for the 50 young farmers selected for the Filipino Young Farmers Internship Program (FYFIP) in Taiwan.

During the program orientation held virtually by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), the heads of the implementing agencies congratulated the participants for their achievement.

DA Secretary William Dar lauded the participating young farmers for taking on the challenge to learn and gain new knowledge towards a better future. He, likewise, acknowledged that the program is a big opportunity to create a new breed of farmers and agripreneurs who will help reshape the landscape of Philippine agriculture into a more dynamic, modernize, and industrialized economic sector.

“Now more than ever, we need the vigor, creativity, open-mindedness, and passion of young individuals to truly unlock the potential of this sector,” he said.

Ambassador Pei-yung Hsu of TECO encouraged the interns to immerse themselves fully in their internship, work hard, demonstrate self-discipline, and take care of themselves so that they can embark on the program without delay. Additionally, he called on them to work hand in hand with the government to make agricultural transformation happen locally. 

Meanwhile, MECO chairperson Angelito Banayo expressed his hope that the program will ignite interest and open the mind of younger Filipinos to look at agriculture with a new perspective. 

“With the internship program in Taiwan, your immersion in farming communities and exposure to modern agricultural practices will open up new hope for Philippine agriculture. Once you complete your internship and return to your communities, you should ignite new agriculture avenues so that, one day, every Filipino will have access to better and cheaper food through higher efficiency in food farming and production,” he said.

Moreover, ATI Director Alfredo Aton urged the interns to actively take part in the agricultural initiatives in the country because food security is everybody’s responsibility. ATI Assistant Director Ana Mula also encouraged them to work hard, be diligent, and finish the internship with integrity.

The FYFIP participants are set to undergo a pre-departure orientation course consisting of a Mandarin language and culture class and a series of technical training on dairy and beef cattle production, vegetable and rice production, farm mechanization, and swine production and management. 

The departure for Taiwan is set in June 2021. The interns will go back to the country after 11 months, equipped with  knowledge and skills on modern Taiwanese farming and fishing technologies which they are expected to use to develop their respective agribusiness ventures. 

The virtual orientation was held via Google Meet on April 8 to acquaint the participants on the components and timeline of the program. (with reports from the ATI-Partnerships and Accreditation Division).