Student org bags Tayo Awards
FOR promoting and revitalizing the appreciation of agriculture among the youth, the University of the Philippines Genetic Researchers and Agricultural Innovators Society (UP Grains) from the University of the Philippines – Los Baños was recognized by Lenovo Philippines as an Outstanding Tech Visionary in this year’s Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (Tayo) 15 awards held recently, at the AG New World Manila Bay Hotel.
Now on its 15th year, TAYO is considered the nation’s premier search for outstanding youth organizations that have created a huge impact in addressing the country’s pressing concerns.
The Lenovo Outstanding Tech Visionary award is a special citation given to the organization with the most meaningful project that addresses key issues through the innovative use of technology. For its project La kb io tek no lo hi ya( La kb a y-b io tek no lo hi ya ), UP Grains was chosen by Lenovo Philippines among this year’s 20 TAYO Finalists. Together with the award, the organization was also given PHP 20,000 and a Lenovo laptop.
“With their project La kb io tek no lo hi ya, UP Grains showed dedication and creativity in addressing the long-standing problem of the public’s lack of interest in agriculture. This is in line with Lenovo’s “Different is Better” philosophy that is built around a fundamental belief that innovation is the best way to address challenges and embrace progress,” said Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan.
Formed in 2014 by Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Biotechnology (BSABT) students, UP Grains is a service-oriented academic organization that promotes agriculture through various activities involving agricultural biotechnology.
La kb io tek no lo hi ya is an information and workshop drive held in high schools and communities where agriculture is the main source of income.
Most of the lessons taught are from UPLB’s curriculum, such as DNA extraction, Hydroponics, Plant Disease Diagnosis, and Fermentation Technology. Hands-on exercises on urban farming and agricultural biotechnology experiments are also included in the workshop, and all of these are geared towards improving agricultural production and maintain quality agroenvironments.
“As scholars, and because UPLB is the only school that offers a course in Agricultural Biotechnology, we took it upon ourselves to teach the masses the many benefits of agriculture and encourage them to engage in the practice,” said Albert Caraan, a member of UP Grains and the Project Head of La kb io tek no lo hi ya–Ca marines Norte. PR