Three Filipinos won the top prizes in the Youth COVIDeo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), besting 72 entries from five countries.
The contest aimed to showcase how the youth played a part in local food production during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of SEARCA's Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) program.
Themed "Youth and Locally Grown Food," the contest sought video stories from Southeast Asian youth on how and why young people grow their food at home, in school or in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frontliner-turned-farmer Marcelino Padilla of Northern Samar bagged the top prize with his story of how he transitioned from being a nurse to pursuing his passion for farming.
The second prize went to Myka Fragata of Nueva Vizcaya, who, along with her sister, told the story of Arapaap Farm, her family's passion project during the quarantine period.
Bagging the third prize was Benson Cariñaga, a son of Albay. He also won the Popularity Award for the entry that garnered the most Facebook reactions.
Padilla's winning video shows his remarkable journey and skill in practicing and promoting environmentally friendly, circular, and zero waste integrated farming system.
At the onset of the community quarantine, he germinated his reserved seeds and distributed seedlings to neighboring communities together with the members of 4-H Club, a youth organization.
His video also showcased the benefits of home gardening to his family and how he encouraged the youth in his community to engage in agricultural activities during the pandemic.
For the Fragata sisters, to ensure food and nutrition security for their family and community amid the COVID-19 crisis, they developed an idle land into a productive vegetable garden within three months.
Their video gives a quick rundown of starting and sustaining a family farm.
Cariñaga's video features the communal garden of Tinago Youth Volunteers (TYV) which was established during the community quarantine to promote local food security.
His video shows TYV members providing practical tips in growing vegetables, composting, and harvesting.
The entries were evaluated by multimedia experts, agriculturists, and SEARCA experts and officials.
The top 3 winners and the finalists in the top 10 received cash prizes. A smart tablet was the prize for the Popularity Award.
"We are happy to see through your videos the different practices in growing food with your family and friends, and in promoting youth engagement in your community through productive activities in agriculture amidst the pandemic," said SEARCA Director Glenn B. Gregorio during the virtual awards ceremony.
Joselito G. Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for Administration, encouraged all participants to carry on with their involvement in agriculture, especially with their families and immediate communities.
He said, "Our youth engagement agenda continues beyond this contest and we look forward to working with young people like you again in our efforts of engaging and empowering the youth in agricultural and rural development."