The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in Midsayap, North Cotabato has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Midsayap-Dilangalen National High School (MDNHS) to promote agriculture to senior high school students, 8 February.
Effective this year, senior high school students of MDNHS will undergo an immersion-training program under the crop production curriculum. PhilRice Midsayap will provide technical assistance through lectures and hands-on activities on crop production.
“We want the students to have a deeper interest in agriculture. This will also serve as their training ground in actual office and technical operations to strengthen their formal learning,” said Melda C. Villora, school principal.
The said program will be part of the students’ requirements prior to graduation. As trainees, the students will have access to various rice production and management facilities at the PhilRice Midsayap station.
“This partnership can boost the number of students who will be interested to take up agriculture courses,” said Dr. Sailila E. Abdula, PhilRice Midsayap acting branch director.
“By introducing agriculture at a younger age, we can further fuel their interest to venture in agriculture and agri-related courses, and be part of the manpower that helps our farmers,” he added.
PhilRice has been conducting various development initiatives involving youth engagement in agriculture, such as the Rice Boot Camp, a training program that helps enhance the capacity of fresh graduates in agriculture and related sciences on the latest rice production technologies.
The Institute’s Infomediary Campaign mobilizes high school students to serve as information providers or “infomediaries” in their farming communities.
The campaign, in partnership with the Department of Education’s Technical-Vocational Unit, also incorporates Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in major agriculture subjects in technical-vocational schools throughout the country.
