AgriKonomiya 2021 goes nationwide to involve youth in agriculture sector

This is a press release from the UP Agricultural Economics Circle.

AgriKonomiya, the annual scholastic competition of the University of the Philippines Agricultural Economics Circle (UPAEC), went nationwide and virtual on March 27 to boost the youth’s involvement in agriculture.

Over 80 junior and senior high schools participated in the scholastic competition: 65 schools from Luzon, 9 from the Visayas, and 7 from Mindanao. 

More than 500 students competed in essay writing, spoken word poetry, poster-making, and agricultural resolutions pitching competitions.

Prior to the competition, the high school students registered to represent their respective schools.

The highlight for this year’s AgriKonomiya was the agricultural resolutions pitch. The contestants underwent an elimination round, where 15 finalists were funneled into the final round.

Overall, the Philippine Science High School – Bicol Region Campus emerged victorious in this year’s AgriKonomiya 2021. The event left a great impact on all of the participants about the significance of the agricultural sector in the resurgence of the Philippine economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AgriKonomiya is a flagship event of the UPAEC, composed of various scholastic activities targeted at bringing awareness to the youth about the vitality of the agriculture sector in the Philippine economy.  

It was formerly a one-day event conducted at the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus. Due to the existing quarantine restrictions, however, AgriKonomiya 2021 became a monthlong event taken into cyberspace through the Zoom platform and was livestreamed on the AgriKonomiya Facebook page.

The competitions were spearheaded by the UP Agricultural Economics Circle in cooperation with the UP Painter’s Club and its partners such as:

• UP Chi Epsilon Sorority
• UP Novo Ecijanos 
• UP Kappa Phi Sigma – Conservation and Development Society
• UP Junior Finance Association
• Wyre Underground of UPLB
• EASTS -TSSP Malayan Colleges Laguna Student Chapter
• Habitat for Humanity Blue Chapter

The monthlong event culminated in a webinar titled, “Ascend: Moving Philippine Agriculture beyond Economic Recession,” featuring an economics professor from Ateneo de Manila University and chair of Brain Trust: Knowledge & Options for Sustainable Development Incorporated, Dr Cielito F. Habito, as its keynote speaker. 

“Do not think of agriculture as a risky course to take. Think of all the exciting things happening right now – such as applying digital tools for agricultural finance, marketing, and production itself. I hope the stigma of agriculture as a career slowly declines and diminished, the way it appears to do so right now,” Habito said.

The UP Agricultural Economics Circle is the sole recognized academic organization under the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines – Los Baños. UPAEC’s main purpose includes promoting Agricultural and Applied Economics as a field of study and as a career and raising awareness to its constituents on the current state of the agricultural sector. 

Follow UPAEC on their Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates on their organizations’ endeavors.– Rappler.com

Agrikonomiya 2021 was brought to you by the UP Agricultural Economics CIrcle in cooperation with the UP Painter’s Club and MovePH. The event was also duly endorsed and recognized by the National Economic and Development Authority Region 4-A Calabarzon, Junior Philippine Economic Society, Agriculture Students Association of the Philippines, UPLB College of Economics and Management, UPLB Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, and UPLB College of Economics and Management Student Council.  

Editors note: An earlier version of this press release incorrectly declared Pangasinan National High School as the overall champion of AgriKonomiya 2021. The overall champion of this year’s AgriKonomiya is the Philippine Science High School – Bicol Region Campus.