Young carapreneur Allen Paul Santos, 23 years old and founding leader of Eden Youth Association (EYA), led his team of other young carabao-based entrepreneurs in receiving the prestigious Villar SIPAG award as “Most Outstanding Youth Social Enterprise” last July 21 at the Villar SIPAG Center in Las Piñas City.
EYA, a young carapreneurs’ group located in San Francisco, Tarlac City, established Ka’Gatas Dairy Farm. The area was previously used for dog breeding but is now converted to a bustling carabao-based enterprise that actively engages its community of youths in various milk production and marketing activities in Tarlac and neighboring province of Pampanga.
Ka’Gatas Dairy Farm is supported by DA-PCC at Central Luzon State University and the local government of Tarlac City.
Santos shared their experience having successfully hurdled the stringent selection process that took over a month of rigorous evaluation.
“Ang aming napanalunan ay para sa pinapangarap ng grupo na magkaroon ng sariling dairy processing at outlet. Ang layunin namin ay ang umasenso ang bawa’t kasapi ng grupo,” Santos said.
The young carapreneur, with other founding members Mikee Anne Castañeda, Patrick Rican Navarro, Philip Navarro, and Ron Mikko Rodriguez who were with him during the awarding ceremonies, said he is grateful of the people behind EYA’s inspiration to join the competition. It was because of these people’s constant support, he said, that their group is aiming to achieve more and go wider.
Dr. Ericson dela Cruz, center director of DA-PCC at CLSU, said the center will be in full support of the young carapreneurs’ journey as they soar high in their chosen enterprise. The young carapreneurs, he added, prove that Rizal’s immortalized line “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan” couldn’t be any truer today.
The Villar SIPAG Awards program is managed by the Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance)—a hub of advocacies, activities and action to help poor Filipinos. It aims to recognize outstanding initiatives of community enterprises and models of good practices.
