2 Cordilleran agripreneurs from Sagada and Buguias to compete in Young Farmers Challenge national level

Baguio City, Philippines – Two young ‘agrinnovators’ will carry the banner of Cordillera region in the highly anticipated Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Batch 2024 national competition set to unfold in Baguio City on July 13 to 17, 2025.

Rosemarie D. Lay-os of Berrylicous Berry Farm and Nursery in Sagada, Mt. Province will compete in the YFC’s Start-Up category, while Jomarie M. Mangeg of the MAFAMCI Agri-Products OPC in Buguias, Benguet will vie for the Upscale category, said the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera in a press release.

The two will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other top finalists from across the country who will be gathered to pitch their agricultural business ventures for a chance to win coveted grants.

From regional to national arena

The two finalists emerged from a competitive pool of hopeful young farmers from the first stage at the local level to the regional.

Lay-os and her berry farm

After making it as a provincial awardee, Lay-os faced 10 other awardees from other provinces in Cordillera in April, where they pitched how they utilized their initial P80,000 provincial grant. Likewise, they laid out their growth strategies and the impact of their projects.

In her presentation, Lay-os turned her gaze toward agri-tourism through production of local berries. She envisions her berry farm to allure tourists to experience Cordillera’s harvest.

Her idea was borne out of observation that locals mostly import berries, to which she pointed, ‘why import when we can grow them?’

Lay-os and five other regional winners were selected by the panel of industry experts to represent Cordillera region on the national stage. They each received P150,000 grant to continue growing their enterprises and prepare for Phase I.

On June 23 to July 2, the six Cordilleran agriprenuers competed with 115 contenders nationwide during the first phase tilt held virtually. Out of the six, only Lay-os was able to move forward to Phase 2, the final round, where Top 15 will each get P300,000 grant.

Mangeg her Frugies de Locale (fruit and nut production)

Mangeg, meanwhile, is no stranger to the national YFC contest. Back in 2022, her Frugies de Locale earned her P300,000 as she was hailed as among the winners in the YFC’s Outstanding Youth Agribusiness Models. With the funding she received, she scaled her venture.

This time, Mangeg is bringing her expanded fruit and nut production along with her business growth story on the national arena, where Top 5 Upscale winners are guaranteed with P500,000 grant each.

Lay-os and Mangeg will pitch their bold, sustainable solutions in food production and agri-processing as they compete for top spots next week.

The YFC Batch 2024 is set to culminate with the awarding slated for Thursday, July 17, at Baguio Convention Center.

Now on its fifth year, the DA’s YFC program provides competitive cash grants as a means of encouraging young Filipinos aged 18-30 to develop and implement innovative agri-fishery and agribusiness ventures. Also, the program provides mentorship and nationwide exposure to help turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.

The department said over 4,000 young farmers nationwide have received grants for their ventures to date.