Young Farmers from Western Visayas, Negros Occidental Win Big in National Agri Challenge
Iloilo City – Young agripreneurs from Western Visayas and Negros Occidental earned top honors at the Season 5 awarding of the Young Farmers Challenge Program, held Thursday at the Iloilo Convention Center.
Organized by the Department of Agriculture, the annual program brought together youth representatives from 16 regions starting April 20 for a series of activities, including a national pitching competition, business conference, and final awarding.
This year, 64 agribusiness entries competed across three categories: Start-Up, Up-Scale, and Intercollegiate. Participants presented their innovative farm-based enterprises before a panel of industry experts and stakeholders.
Among the top winners were Erica Jane Hadlocon and Rian Kierre Golez from San Lorenzo, Guimaras, who secured first place in the Start-Up digital category for their Agribnv project.
Other notable winners included Joy Saban of Lambunao, Iloilo, who placed third for Banana Kingdom Food Products, and Geneco Mabasa from Antique, who ranked fourth for Sirit Kuriit Food Products—both under the Start-Up food processing category.
In the non-food category, Karlo Mindanao and Lynne Rose Mindanao of Negros Occidental won for their K & L EcoFeed venture and also received the Young Regenerative Agriculture Award.
Meanwhile, Ross Anthony Borda from Aklan placed fourth in the Up-Scale category for Anita’s Juice Corner.
Winners in the Start-Up category each received PHP300,000, while those in the Up-Scale category were awarded PHP500,000 to help expand their enterprises.
During a press briefing, Cherryl Marie Caballero emphasized that the program aims to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth, encouraging them to pursue agriculture as a viable business path.
She highlighted that beyond financial incentives, the initiative fosters a mindset of creativity and ambition, with local government units playing a key role in providing support through policies, incentives, and guidance.
Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra added that the challenge also allows the government to directly support young individuals with the potential to transform the country’s agricultural sector.
NPO News Team | Philippine News Agency - PR
