Three Aklan Agripreneurs Win YFC Regional Grants

KALIBO, Aklan — Three young agripreneur teams from Aklan have secured spots among the Top 7 awardees of the Season 6 Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Start-Up Regional Level Competition in Western Visayas, earning an additional grant of ₱150,000 each for their respective agri-fishery enterprises.
The winning Aklanon enterprises are Daika Lip Balm, represented by Diana Hyacinth B. Fuentes and Erika S. Tabiolo; Ging-Nantsilyo, led by Laica D. Panganiban; and Green Bean Co., represented by Jerico T. Isidro and Kent Ceadrick B. Cuales.
Their recognition highlights the growing potential of young Aklanons to develop innovative business ventures and create new opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness.
The three enterprises advanced to the regional competition after emerging as provincial-level awardees, joining other promising young entrepreneurs from across Western Visayas in presenting their business concepts before regional evaluators.
According to the regional announcement, the additional ₱150,000 grant for each of the seven winning enterprises is intended to support their business development and help them further strengthen their operations.
Other regional awardees were Umapreska Integrated Farm of Antique; BUHI IntelliFarm Systems of Capiz; and Panaya Food Products Manufacturing and HarvestedHue, both from Iloilo.
The regional competition also featured other qualifiers, including Chris Hydro Lab, GM’s Herbnest, Eunicare, CITRO-SHIELD, UmaFutura Technologies, and E Foods Corporation, among others.
The Promising Young Aklanon Agripreneurs (PYAA) congratulated the three Aklan teams for their achievement, describing their advancement as a testament to the creativity, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit of the province’s youth.
The Young Farmers Challenge, a program of the Department of Agriculture, encourages young Filipinos to pursue agribusiness by helping them develop and implement viable agricultural and fishery-related business ideas.
With their regional achievement, the Aklan teams demonstrate how youth-led enterprises can contribute to innovation, livelihood generation, and the continued development of the agricultural sector.
Their success also serves as an inspiration for more young Aklanons to explore agripreneurship and turn their ideas into sustainable business opportunities.