AS THE Philippine agriculture sector faces an aging workforce, Senator Loren Legarda has filed Senate Bill No. 518 seeking to establish the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council to attract a new generation of agri-entrepreneurs.
“The average age of our farmers is now 53. If this trend continues, we could face a critical shortage of food producers within the next decade, threatening food security,” Legarda said, stressing the need to make agriculture a viable and dignified career for the youth. The bill proposes start-up capital, access to insurance, land opportunities, training, and inclusive education for aspiring agri-workers aged 15 to 40, with at least 30 percent of slots reserved for young women, Indigenous youth and those in coastal and conflict areas.
On the ground in Cebu, the Pestales Agriculture Cooperative is already living out this vision. Reversing the graying trend in farming has become the central mission of Pestales, which is tapping the youth to embrace agriculture while promoting food security and sustainable farming practices.
The cooperative, short for People’s Ecosystem for Societal Transformation, Advanced Leadership and Economic Sustainability, shared its journey at the recent AgriKonek Food Summit organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where it highlighted its role as an accredited learning site of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and a Tesda-certified farm school.
“We are also an extension service provider of ATI, and we partner with educational institutions to reach more youth in the region,” said founder Jenalyn Entoy, noting that the average age of Filipino farmers is 58.
Registered in 2016 with just 23 members, Pestales started with little more than determination, raising P47,500 in seven months by selling ice candy and pancakes to legally register as a cooperative. Its roots trace back to 2014, when Entoy, then visiting Cebu, was moved by the plight of farmers forced to sell their produce cheaply to middlemen and excluded from government programs due to language barriers. With friends, she returned to Cebu to build an organic farming community.
From surviving on porridge during its early days to facing accusations and threats, Pestales has since grown into one of Cebu’s leading certified organic farms. Today, it operates Braveheart Farm, a 6.4-hectare facility in Argao with a processing plant, community housing, and demo gardens.
Despite challenges such as Typhoon Odette and the pandemic, Pestales secured P6.5 million in grants in 2022, including funding for a solar-powered irrigation system. It was named an Outstanding Small Organization in 2023 and has received international recognition for leadership in sustainable agriculture.
Pestales products, from organic vegetables to processed goods, are now sold at outlets such as Robinsons Galleria and Banilad Town Center through partnerships with the Cebu Farmers Market.
“Pestales is now the number one certified farm in Cebu Province, and we’re proud to be part of Central Visayas’ organic farming movement,” Entoy said, adding a challenge to fellow farmer-entrepreneurs: “As long as we believe in ourselves and pray, nothing is impossible. No retreat, no surrender.” / KOC