Planting the Seeds of the Future: SP Aklan Empowers Young Agpripreneurs to Lead the Future of Agriculture

“𝖶𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇 𝖠𝗄𝗅𝖺𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗀𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽, 𝗌𝗎𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖽, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖻𝗒 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗍𝗁 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗁𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗍, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗏𝗂𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗎𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖠𝗄𝗅𝖺𝗇’𝗌 𝖺𝗀𝗋𝗂𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗈𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗂𝗍”

-𝖾𝗑𝖼𝖾𝗋𝗉𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗈𝗋𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖾𝖼𝗁 𝗈𝖿 𝖧𝗈𝗇. 𝖤𝖽𝗆𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗈 𝖬. 𝖳𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗈, 𝖩𝗋.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan approved, on third and final reading, the Provincial Search for Promising Young Aklanon Agripreneurs Ordinance aimed at encouraging more young Aklanons to pursue agriculture and fisheries as viable, innovative, and sustainable career and business opportunities.

Sponsored by Hon. Edmundo M. Tolentino, Jr. and Hon. Reynaldo M. Quimpo, and co-sponsored by Hon. Teddy C. Tupas, Hon. Bayani M. Cordova, Hon. Mark V. Quimpo, Hon. Mark Ace L. Bautista, Hon. Apolinar C. Cleope, and Hon. Jupiter Aelred G. Gallenero, the measure seeks to strengthen youth participation in the province’s agricultural and fishery development.

The ordinance recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and rural development and responds to the growing concern over the aging population of Filipino farmers. It seeks to inspire a new generation of young farmers and fisherfolks by providing opportunities for capacity-building, financial assistance, mentoring, technical support, market linkages, and institutional partnerships.

Under the program, young Aklanons aged fifteen (15) to thirty (30) years old who are engaged in or seeking to establish agri-fishery enterprises may participate in the annual provincial-wide search. The program will accommodate individual or group-managed ventures and will cover various categories, including production, food processing, non-food processing, and agri-tech or digital agriculture.

The program is also envisioned to develop a pool of promising young agripreneurs who can represent Aklan in national competitions and programs, including the Department of Agriculture’s Young Farmers Challenge Program, Gawad Saka, and other related initiatives.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) will serve as the primary implementing office and secretariat of the program, in coordination with the Provincial Youth Development Office, Panlalawigang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan, municipal local government units, national government agencies, academic institutions, and private sector partners.

A PYAA Development Council will likewise be established to oversee the program, formulate guidelines and evaluation criteria, and coordinate technical assistance, training, mentoring, business development services, and market opportunities for participating young agripreneurs.

Through the institutionalization of the Provincial Search for Promising Young Aklanon Agripreneurs, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan seeks to help build a stronger and more dynamic agricultural sector by empowering young Aklanons to become not only farmers and fisherfolks, but also innovators, entrepreneurs, and active partners in advancing food security and sustainable rural development.