A neophyte solon lauded the Land Bank of the Philippines for launching of a new scholarship program for dependents of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), small farmers and fisherfolk.

AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee said this is a step in the right direction to convince the youth to pursue a career in the sector amid a continued exodus of agricultural workers.

“Tamang hakbang ang Iskolar ng LandBank program para makumbinsi ang mga anak ng mga nasa sektor ng agrikultura na manatili rito. Kailangan ng konkretong aksyon mula sa pamahalaan para tugunan ang paglayo ng mga kabataan sa agrikultura dahil sa tingin nila’y walang pag-asa ng pag-unlad dito,” Lee said.

The LandBank recently announced that it has allotted P128 million for the program to cover the educational expenses of 360 scholars from 2023 to 2028.

However, Lee said that the LandBank should do much more and aggressively expand its program even as it catches up on its other duties.

The lawmaker said LandBank could easily afford expanding the scholarship as it has generated a net income of P30.1 billion in 2022, a figure that is 38.2 percent more than the P21.7 billion it earned in 2021.

“Baka naman maaari pang dagdagan ang scholars ng programa upang mas marami pa ang makinabang. We must remember that it would ultimately be to our benefit if we can convince the best and the brightest to pursue a career in agriculture. Winner Tayo Lahat kapag nanatili sila at napayabong nila ang sektor,” Lee said.

Earlier this week, Lee also chided the LandBank over its agri loans, which he said those in the sector find it difficult to access because of onerous requirements.

The Iskolar ng LandBank program will support 60 new scholars every year until 2028, with each scholar receiving P100,000 per year to cover allowance and expenses for books, clothing, and other course requirements. Special cash incentives will also be awarded to those who graduate with honors.

According to LandBank, it has initially partnered with 12 state colleges and universities in Metro Manila; Northern, Central and Southern Luzon; Visayas; and Mindanao.

Lee has repeatedly called for government action to infuse “new blood” in agriculture, as the average age of farmers in the country is from 57 to 59 years old.

Former Agriculture Secretary William Dar previously warned that the Philippines may face a critical shortage of farmers in 12 years.

He also appealed to Congress to pass soon two bills that aim to encourage more students to take agriculture and other related courses.

Under his proposed House Bill No. 2419 or the “Agripreneurs Scholarship Program Act”, government would set up an Integrated Agripreneurs Scholarship Program (IASP) with at least P1 billion in annual funding to support qualified scholars and other educational resource support mechanisms for the pursuit of studies in the field of agriculture.

Meanwhile, House Bill No. 1295 seeks to establish a scholarship program that would benefit dependent children of registered indigent farmers who intend to enroll or are already enrolled in agricultural courses or related fields in state colleges and universities.