PH Embassy in Israel Challenges Agriculture Students Anew to Become 21st Century Farmers
Group photo with the Agrostudies student-trainees at the Ruppin campus on 16 February 2020. (Tel Aviv PE photo)
TEL AVIV 02 March 2020 — In coordination with the Agrostudies Program, the Philippine Embassy in Israel continued its series of in-depth Post-Arrival Orientation Seminars (PAOS) to the 15th batch of Filipino student-trainees of three agricultural campuses in Israel.
Embassy representatives challenged the students anew to harness the experience and knowledge they would gain in Israel to boost the Philippines’ agricultural sector. The students obtained information that the Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to tap the pool of graduates in the Philippines to provide job and work opportunities in the DA and the local government units.
The Embassy conducted the first PAOS for 2020 to 59 student-trainees on 09 February 2020 at the Tel-Hai College campus near Kibbutz Kfar Giladi in northern Israel, 43 participants on 16 February 2020 at the Ruppin campus within the Hefer Valley Regional Council, and 53 at the Kfar Silver campus in Ashkelon on 20 February 2020.
The program is a public-private partnership initiative with the Israeli government through the MASHAV, the Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Israel.
Since 2005, a total of 4,534 Filipino student-trainees have graduated from the program combining practical work and academic training in agriculture for 11 months in Israel. The program coordinates with 30 Philippine State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to bring Filipino agricultural students to Israel for training under agricultural experts and learn the latest techniques in farming through hands-on training.
In his message, Consul General to Tel Aviv Randy Arquiza stressed that the "DA wants to provide financial assistance to graduates of the program with viable agricultural project proposals. I enjoin all of you to become 21st century farmers and agri-businessmen who can help the country achieve food security.”
Labor Attaché Atty. Rodolfo Gabasan provided an overview of the students’ rights and responsibilities and the coordination mechanisms with the students in the program.
Attaché Emmanuel Arbado presented the various embassy services, and the periodic security advisories issued.
The embassy considers the program an important pillar of Philippines-Israel development cooperation in the agricultural sector. END
The Philippine Embassy in Israel Team (center) with the students of Kfar Silver campus during the PAOS on 20 February 2020. (Tel Aviv PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.telavivpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.org.il or https://www.facebook.com/PHinIsrael/.