SENATOR Panfilo Lacson is pushing for a scholarship program for deserving students—especially children of farmers—who wish to pursue careers in agriculture. The goal: to enhance food security while encouraging the youth to take part in the agriculture sector.

Lacson said the program, similar to the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act” authored by former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, would also expose young scholars to technological advancements in agriculture.

“This is to encourage children of farmers to study new technologies through agriculture-related scholarships. They will learn about new developments to improve their agricultural yields, moving away from traditional manual methods,” he explained.

“We will enhance agricultural productivity while sparking greater youth interest in farming,” he added.

Lacson emphasized that, in the long run, this program could help the Philippines shift from being an importing to an exporting agricultural country.

Farmers in the audience responded positively, cheering when Lacson asked if they supported the proposed scholarship program.

He cited the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB) as one institution offering master’s programs with a focus on biotechnology. UPLB’s National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology has acquired state-of-the-art equipment, thanks to increased funding through institutional amendments introduced by Lacson in the national budget.

“We need young farmers who are equipped with the knowledge and tools to improve production. We can allocate more funds to the appropriate agencies for this,” Lacson said.

Meanwhile, Lacson reiterated his call for digitalization of government transactions to help address the needs of farmers using a data-driven, science-based approach.

Such an approach, he said, enables the government to pinpoint areas that need intervention.

“Otherwise, we leave room for discretion—and where there is discretion, there is corruption,” he warned.