Igorot farmer finishes 3rd in National Young Farmers Challenge, takes home P.3M in prize money

Baguio City, Philippines - While other youth her age are scrolling and streaming, a Cordilleran farmer is planting, harvesting, and winning - bagging a national award for her innovative berry farm.

At 26, Rosemarie Dagyapen Lay-os, a native of Benguet who is now residing in Sagada, Mt. Province, earned national acclaim after securing third place in the production category of 2024 Young Farmer’s Challenge (YFC) - Start-Up component.

Her win, announced during the national awarding ceremony held on July 17 at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center, comes with P300,000 grant. With her previous success at provincial and regional levels, she now has a total fund of P530,000.

The young Igorot farmer’s enterprise impressed judges for blending sustainable practices with traditional farming techniques and cultural values, which led to her winning the Indigenous Innovation Award.

Rosemarie’s latest grant will be used to further develop her “Berrylicious Berry Farm and Nursery,” where she is cultivating blueberries and raspberries. These berries, according to the Department of Agriculture - Cordillera, are not common in the region.

The third-place finisher views the national accolade as both a reward and a responsibility. She is now planning for the next phase of her vision, which includes integrating stingless bees for natural pollination. This will help boost not only yield but also sustainability.

She credited her recent feat to the support provided by the agriculture department and the local government units in Mt. Province.

As she reflected on her journey, Rosemarie encouraged her fellow youth to take a leap of faith and to be fearless in trying new paths.

Other standout enterprises from across the country were also recognized. Joining Rosemarie’s farm in the production category are Tinigban Bee Reserve (Region VII), Carl’s Pabo-Rito (Region X), La Farmia Agrinova (Region X), and Brackish Venture (Region XIII).

Meanwhile, Jomarie Mangeg from Buguias, Benguet, whose Frugies de Locale was previously hailed as one of the winners in Outstanding Youth Agribusiness Models, competed in YFC - Upscale component. There, she ended her campaign as one of the Top 15 national finalists.