Youth Scholarship Grant on Organic Farming

Introduction

Scholarships and training are one way to encourage organic agriculture and thus expand the system. Several scholarship programs and agricultural training, including organic agriculture, are run by the DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Even with these programs, however, there are few new entrants into the sector, particularly among the young. As a result, there is a need for a comprehensive approach to scholarship provision that includes intensive and extensive hands-on training on farms, provision of start-up project support funds for trainees, and mentoring during trainees’ enterprise project implementation.

This scholarship program is a highly specialized internship program designed to instill in trainees an appreciation and eagerness for organic agriculture, which they will eventually use as a source of income. It differs from other scholarship programs in that it only covers tuition and a stipend. The program offers start-up assistance as well as mentoring for the implementation of their business plan. As a result, the youth are empowered to become organic agripreneurs.

The 21-month internship program for the youth is modeled after the Korean government’s internship program, which involves 100% engagement of their scholars in the agriculture sector after training completion; it consists of nine months of schooling and on-site training to farm partners, and one year of hands-on practice and implementation of the proposed organic enterprise.

The program aims to provide complete support to trainees until their businesses are established and profitable in order to ensure sustainability and boost morale. They will remain farmers in their hearts and minds after completing the program.

The provisions of this Memorandum Circular have been sanctioned and approved by the National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB), and they aim to establish the criteria, rules, and procedures for receiving the scholarship grant.

See Also: 2023 DOST-SEI BANGON MARAWI PROGRAM IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (STHRD)

Objectives

The program aims to contribute to the attainment of food sovereignty by ensuring the availability of healthy agricultural produce and products grown, raised, and developed in a healthy and safe environment.

Primarily, the program aims to encourage the youth and develop and train them to become organic farmers and practitioners. Specifically, it aims to:

• equip the youth with knowledge and skills in organic agriculture practices;
• increase organic agriculture practitioners and organic agriculture-related enterprises;
• increase organic agriculture areas; and
• increase adopters of organic agriculture practices.

Scope and Coverage

The program is a collaborative effort between the DA- NOAP and the DA- ATI and shall be implemented nationwide enjoining the youth. The program targets 150 youth, enjoining women, out-of-school youth, and degree holders, and 75 farm partners coming from different provinces practicing chemical-free and/or organic farming systems, as beneficiaries.

For 21 months, the trainees will be given a monthly stipend while the farm partners will receive a mentoring fee. Towards the end of the 1st year of implementation, the start-up support will be released to the trainees for the implementation of their proposed organic enterprise under the supervision of farm partners. The start-up support will be used for all the materials and requirements of the trainees for his/her enterprise including site rental, planting materials, facilities, and equipment, among others.

Considering that the trainees are still starting their businesses, they need monthly assistance for their food and other basic needs, thus a continuous monthly stipend and mentorship fee will be provided to the trainees and farm partners, respectively.

The grants will be given to 150 trainees and shall cover the following:

Eligibility and Documentary Requirements

There are two key players in this program, classified as a) farm partners; and b) trainees.

Farmer-Partners: 

Qualification:

1. Farm owner/operator of the certified organic or chemical-free farm, preferably LSA
2. Must be in operation for at least 1 year
3. Has farm activities within the value chain either production, value-adding, processing or marketing;
4. Has basic farm tools, equipment, or facilities needed for its operation
5. Has accommodation facility for 2 trainees
6. Has an internship program plan from March to November within a year
7. With good community standing and has no proven derogatory record
8. The farm area is not part of military-identified conflict zones

Requirements:

1. Notarized Affidavit as owner/operator of an organic and/or chemical-free farm; Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA) certification, if applicable
2. Farm Journal; Financial statement for the previous year’s operation
3. Farm layout and Photos of farm and its facilities including accommodation areas and List and biodata of resource persons/trainers;
4. Internship Program plan and design including performance evaluation and post-internship assessment
5. At least two (2) recommendations letter from a community leader (e.g. barangay captain, parish priest, school principal, civil society organization, farmers’ cooperative or association)
6. Certification from the respective AFP infantry division
7. Letter of Intent

Trainees: 

Qualifications:

1. Age 18 to 35 years old at the time of application
2. Natural-born Filipino citizen
3. Interested to enter the agriculture industry, especially practicing organic agriculture
4. Willingness to undertake a 21-month internship and hands-on practice contract
5. Physically and mentally fit
6. Has good community standing or moral character

Requirements:

1. Clear scanned copy of any valid government-issued ID (indicating the date of birth)
2. Notarized Sworn Statement as proof of willingness and commitment to undertake organic agriculture-related activities/enterprises after the training;
3. Business Model Canvas (BMC)
4. Medical certificate indicating “fit to work”
5. At least two (2) recommendation letters from a community leader (e.g. barangay captain, parish priest, school principal, civil society organization, farmers’ cooperative, or association)
6. Bank account details, preferably LBP if available
7. Accomplished application form

Application

Interested applicants for farm partners and trainees may address their letter of intent to ALICIA ROSE D. NEBREJA, Training Center Superintendent II/Center Director.  Submission of the application can be done physically or via email. For interested applicants in Zamboanga Peninsula, kindly send your application and documentary requirements to: rt9.dcc@ati.da.gov.ph or visit our office at Pres. Corazon Aquino, Regional Center, Brgy. Balintawak, Pagadian City.

For inquiries, kindly contact Mr. Elias N. Nayal, Organic Agriculture Focal Person at 0981-060-1865. 

Screening Process

All applications shall undergo a screening process by the Screening and Selection Committee. The Committee shall assess and verify the completeness and accuracy of the documents submitted by the applicants.

All applicants shall undergo prioritization ranking based on the following criteria to select the target number of trainees:

1 Graduate of a 4-year course

CRITERIA	25 POINTS	20 POINTS	15 POINTS	10 POINTS
Educational/training background in agriculture	Graduate with Bachelor’s degree majoring in Organic Agriculture	Graduate of any Bachelor’s degree related to Agriculture	Graduate of any related Bachelor’s degree	Graduate of any Bachelor’s degree
Farm Experience	More than 3 years	2 to 3 years	More than a year	Less than a year
Re-entry plan on the preferred production area (crop, livestock and poultry, fishery, and processing)	The complete operation, human resources, marketing, and financial plan	The complete operation, marketing, and financial plan	Complete operation and marketing plan	Complete operation plan
Availability of site for the planned project	Site under the name of the immediate family of the trainee	Site under the tenancy of the family	Site with written commitment for rent/usufruct to the trainee	Has no clear site for the planned project

Out-of-school youth

CRITERIA	25 POINTS	20 POINTS	15 POINTS	10 POINTS
Educational/training background in agriculture	Graduate of TESDA vocational courses in agriculture	With NC II certification in organic agriculture	At least a high school graduate and/or training certificate in organic agriculture	High school level
Farm Experience	More than 3 years	2 to 3 years	More than a year	Less than a year
Re-entry plan on the preferred production area (crop, livestock and poultry, fishery, and processing)	The complete operation, human resources, marketing, and financial plan	The complete operation, marketing, and financial plan	Complete operation and marketing plan	Complete operation plan
Availability of site for the planned project	Site under the name of the immediate family of the trainee	Site under the tenancy of the family	Site with written commitment for rent/usufruct to the trainee	Has no clear site for the planned project

Source: Department of Agriculture