Mindanao State University-General Santos (MSU GenSan) students demonstrated their prowess in agribusiness by securing top placements at the Youth Leaders of Agribusiness Congress (YLAC) 2024: Intercollegiate Business Case Competition held last June 19-21 at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
YLAC, a 3-day competition organized by the UP Agribusiness Society, provides a platform for agribusiness students and those in related fields to showcase their skills by addressing real-life business challenges.
NEGOSYA-IT, consisting of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BS IT) students Omar Darwish Al Hosni, Jeanette Ferrater, and Vince Vesiete, along with Agricultural Business Management (ABM) student Betty Mae Ganadaos Tuazon, advanced to the grand finals and clinched the 2nd runner-up position.
Team UNOvators, composed of ABM students Mark Delmo, Dustine Kyle Casiple, Mark Anthony Banda, and Noraica Cabalo, was also among the top 6 finalists, competing against teams from other universities nationwide.
Preparations and challenges
In an online interview with Bagwis, Vince Vesiete of NEGOSYA-IT shared that their team had three weeks to prepare after being notified of their semi-finalist status.
“We assigned every member to study any related business case that would hone our analytical skills, with the help of our seniors who competed last year's edition and with our mentor, Sir Romeo Tejada from ICEBOX: DOST, while juggling the needed papers to prepare for us to travel safely to the competition area,” he explained.
According to Vesiete, the most challenging part of the competition was analyzing the given business case without the help of the internet and gadgets, as it was prohibited.
“We almost ended up fighting because we exhausted all of our brain cells for this, just to get our points across. But it was a healthy conflict between us because it just shows how determined we are in bringing pride to our very own Pamantasang Mindanao,” Vesiete shared.
Vesiete clarified that this was one of the rewarding aspects of YLAC, aside from the workshops, seminars, and the bonds they established with fellow competitors from different universities.
Impact on future aspirations
According to Vesiete, the competition helped him realize how vast the opportunities are in the agribusiness sector and in agriculture as a whole.
“Regardless of what field you're in, everything is interconnected to agriculture. While I may be determined in my future career as a filmmaker, I could still utilize my prowess in filmmaking as an avenue to raise awareness about agriculture itself, and also with my friends who were in the field of Information Technology,” he shared.
Additionally, Vesiete also emphasized how the stigma that agriculture is only for the poor should be eradicated and replaced with the idea that it is an industry where continuous development, together with technological advancements, are limitless.
Vesiete urged fellow students to participate in similar competitions, emphasizing that these events showcase the capabilities and global competitiveness of MSUans and the modern Filipino youth, extending beyond mere involvement and engagement.