Agriculture majors excel in Israeli Institute

Filipino agriculture students from various universities around the Philippines dominated an 11-month international agro studies program in Israel, bagging excellence awards for research on improving the quality of produce.

Roughly half of this year’s agrostudies graduates from the Wingate Institute in Netanya are Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.

“The Filipino graduates of the program are students from as far as Ilocos to Cotabato, who are currently taking agriculture courses and were selected through a rigid screening process conducted by their respective university officials,” the DFA said.

Philippine graduates also received three of four awards of excellence following the training.

Program head Yaron Tamir especially complimented Philippine delegates from the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in Northern Luzon.

The Philippine group outnumbered contingents from other Asian countries like Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Vietnam in the program, which brought trainees around agricultural facilities and colleges around Israel.

During graduation ceremonies on Aug. 1, two Filipino teams were recognized for outstanding research: Jim Albert Tubig, Harry Santos and Marlon Sto. Domingo received commendation for their research on fungal disease in bananas while Gabriel Fantilanan, Reyvan Nievares, Geron Pareja, Cris Malic Jr., Jerry Bainggan and Patrick de la Cruz also won an award for looking at the effects of hot water treatment on growing grapefruit.

Filipino students Ariel Cardinez, Erly Saleng and Ramil Eliazar were also recognized for extracurricular activities related to their training.

In his message during the graduation rites, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Generoso D.G. Calonge encouraged the graduates “to put dignity back in farming and to be proud of what they have accomplished.”

Another batch of trainees from the Philippines is set to arrive in Israel in October.