With the success of the past two seasons of the Rebooting Agriculture in the New Normal: Webfresher Courses, the season 3, titled, “Aggie Ps Talk 3.0: Moving Forward in Challenging Times through Agripreneurship,” kicked off last February 2.

For this season, eight guest speakers were invited to share their experiences in the field of agriculture and entrepreneurship – now called, agripreneurship. They were alumni of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS), UPLB who ventured into various agribusinesses. They were asked to recount their experiences and learnings toward success. More importantly, they were asked to share their thoughts on how agripreneurship helps in moving forward especially through challenging times.

Welcoming the speakers and attendees was CAFS Dean, Dr. Elpidio Agbisit, Jr. He shared that this webinar series is not only intended for those in the industry, but for the Aggie students as well, to give them a glimpse of how they can be if they decide to venture into agripreneurship. He hoped that the speakers inspire students and future agripreneurs.

Manok ng Bayan

Setting the pace was renowned businessman and visionary, Mr. Ronald Mascarinañas as the first guest speaker. Mr. Mascariñas, president and general manager of Bountry Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI), is a proud alumnus of CAFS. In his concise but inspiring talk, he shared how his UP education prepared him for what he faced when he entered the business sector. He shared the skills that were proven important especially during the pandemic when the majority of businesses were hardly hit. Despite the challenges, BAVI, through Mr. Mascariñas, innovated and continued to survive and even soar higher in the poultry industry.

Indeed, the story of Mr. Mascariñas as an agripreneur is inspiring. However, not only is he a successful businessman, but he is also a philanthropist, as showcased by BAVI’s many community engagements. They are involved in helping many facets of society, including sports.

With the hope of inspiring the participants to venture into agripreneurship, Mr. Mascariñas gladly answered some questions raised through the Zoom webinar room, CAFS Facebook Page, and CAFS YouTube Channel.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/nHvSmQMdzHY

The Cheesiness of Dairy Business

Following the poultry industry was the dairy sector represented by Ms. Olive Puentespina of Malagos Farmhouse last February 4. Ms. Puentespina’s talk highlighted the ins and outs of the cheese business while sharing her personal experiences in the industry. Starting the company from being a one-man-team, to now producing more than 60,000 liters of milk per year, Ms. Puentespina surely knows her way around the business.

As a graduate of CAFS and former staff of the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI), Ms. Puentespina is surely equipped with the technical know-how of the product. But this was not enough for her, she believes that one should also know how to analyze the market. Her technical skills paired with her managerial competencies surely lead to the success of her product.

Ms. Puentespina also gladly answered the many questions raised during the webinar. Here, she was able to showcase her deep knowledge about the industry and her product. She was even open to answering more questions through their social media accounts. Indeed, a true Iskolar ng bayan para sa bayan, ready to lend a helping hand and share her expertise.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/ejSaVHlg4bM

Aggie Ps Talk 3.0 will continue until February 23 with the following schedule:

• February 9: Date with a Fun-gi: Mushroom Production, Mr. Faustino Paulo Aromin, Flourish Farm;
• February 11: Blooms in Life, Mr. Filemon Faner, Green Thumb Garden;
• February 16: The Buzzing Beezness, Dr. Cleofas Cervancia, UOLB Bee Program;
• February 17: Patok na Pagnenegosyo ng Pato, Mr. Allan Casajeros, Primaduck, Inc.; and
• February 23: Transfarmer: Agri-Innovation in Action, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.

Registration links can be found through CAFS Facebook page.

(AKSM)