The Department of Agriculture's latest Food Security Ambassador has been teaching intensive gardening since an early age.
For young farmer-agripreneur and AGREA Philippines President Cherrie Atilano, there was a burning desire on her part to take on a new challenge.
As an ambassador, Cherrie who was already into farming at the early age of 12, will campaign for advocacies of the Department of Agriculture towards the attainment of a food-secure and resilient Philippines with prosperous farmers and fishers.
“When I was young, I saw the sad plight of the sugarcane growers and other food producers in Negros Occidental. I thought how ironic the situation was when they (the food producers) have nothing to eat most of the time," Atilano narrated.
"And so that’s when I started to teach intensive gardening,” she said.
Instead of buying from the markets, the young Atilano taught the sugarcane farmers to grow their own food by planting vegetables.
“I knew then that my path was in agriculture. I wanted to help, in my little way, provide food for the Filipino family,” she said.
With her new assignment, Atilano will help the DA encourage the younger Filipinos to take action and participate in more initiatives for the development of Philippine agriculture.
She will also focus on initiatives to influence overseas Filipino workers, retirees, and hobbyists to engage in agribusiness and other related enterprises, within the food supply chain.
“I am very excited to be part of a team that really looks into the welfare of our kababayan, young and old, regardless of gender,” she said.
Atilano will also campaign who a bigger participation and recognition of women in agriculture.
“For many years, rural women have proven that they are essential partners in various agricultural and fishery activities. Its cliché I know, pero kung kaya ng lalaki, kaya na rin po ng babae. Kaya dapat lang na kilalanin natin ang kanilang kontribusyon sa food security,” she said.
Alongside, actor and urban agriculture advocate James Reid, Atilano will share her time and knowledge in promoting sustainable agriculture systems and towards a mechanized and industrialized sector.
Cherrie is the President and Founding Farmer of AGREA Philippines, according to its website http://www.agreaph.com.
The young agripreneur is also a co-founder of HATIENDA Holdings Inc., an agritourism and agri-processing space to produce Filipino agricultural products for local and exports market.
She started working with the farmers at the age of 12 by teaching them sustainable ways on farming that she read from a book. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Major in Horticulture Specializing on Tissue Culture from the Visayas State University in Leyte.
She was one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 2007 for her academic excellence, Exemplary Leadership and strong social responsibilities. She is also a Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum. Because of her track record and advocacy to promote global food security and sustainable agriculture programs and helped thousands of farming families in the Philippines for almost 17 years, she was awarded as a Young Global Laureate 2014 by the International Youth Organization – Youth Action Net. She had a chance to meet the Holy See Papa Francesco in Vatican, Rome, Italy on November 19-20, 2014 for the gathering called “Towards a New Global Mindset: Overcoming Social and Economic Exclusion”. She was recognized as the ASEAN Young Business Leader in 2014 by the New Zealand Foundation. She was named by Rappler Philippines as one of the Four Filipinas to Watch 2014. She was also recognized as a Peace Awardee 2015 by the Muslim community thru the SPMUDA International Organization during the International Day of Peace.
Currently, she was awarded as the EARTH Mover Award of RAPPLER and one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation Service (TOWNS) 2016. She was also awarded as the Most Outstanding Young Agriculturist and Young Achiever of Negros Island. She was also chosen by Channel News Asia as one of the 10 Asia New Generation Emerging Leaders (ANGELS) 2016. She was awarded as one of the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneur 2017 by Go Negosyo and the Republic of the Philippines President His Excellency Rodrigo Roa Duterte. She was also chosen by the Australia Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as one of the Asia- Australia Emerging Leaders in the Region. The World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community Advisory Council Steering Committee Members completing the 22 chosen young members of the World Economic Forum.
AGREA as a company and her as the social entrepreneur was also awarded by the Asia Pacific CSR Council and UN Global Compact the Global Responsible Business Award 2017 for Agriculture Excellence.
She is a radical optimist, a dreamer and a true believer that Filipino farmers are world-class. She has been traveling the world as an advocate and inspirational speaker especially on her advocacy for global food security.
“I thank Secretary Dar for trusting me with this responsibility. Rest assured that I will use my voice and utilize every platform available to promote and encourage more Filipinos to be part of the national campaign for Food Security,” she said. (PIA NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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