OFWs, retirees urged to invest in agriculture

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. is pushing for the full implementation of an agricultural development program that will train returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and retired officers and personnel of government and private institutions to become entrepreneurs and encourage them to invest in agribusiness.

The program, dubbed New Farmers Program (NFAP), will also train and give opportunity to other unemployed Filipinos such as displaced workers, and jobless college graduates who are above 35 years old to become entrepreneurs and responsible players in sustainable agricultural development.

"This program aims to help address unemployment problem by maximizing the potential of our country's agriculture and fisheries sector and enable our unemployed countrymen to become entrepreneurs and take active part in pushing our economy to progress," Magsaysay said.

Magsaysay, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) will grace the opening ceremonies for the first training which is set on Monday, Sept. 27 at the Central Luzon State University in Munos, Nueva Ecija. The first five-day training program will end on Oct. 1.

The Senator noted that the country's unemployment level last year was recorded at 3.92 million, which was about 58,000 more than the 2002 figures. He hopes that the program could help generate jobs particularly in the countryside.