austraLasia #1896
Agro-Mechanical Technology Centre in central Philippines celebrates 6th Foundation Day, blesses new developments
LEGAZPI CITY: 6th July 2007 -- In a special letter to austraLasia, from the Diocese of Legazpi, an account of the 6th Foundation Day of Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical Technology Centre, from a missionary Salesian Brother who has spent more than 40 years in the Philippines. Bro Louis Parolin, Training Director at the Centre, explains a little of the work at this Centre, recording six years of contribution to education, skills training and personal and Christian development of young people in a depressed rural area.
Currently the Centre offers courses, a year and a half duration, in agriculture, agro-mechanics and general electricity for a 148 young men and women from 17-23 years of age. They are developing a 5 hectare site within the Centre with a view to letting young farmers experience and see in action the application of technology, tools, machines for cultivating upland agricultural products, and for animal husbandry.
"It is important to realise", says Bro. Parolin, "that upland agricultural technology has not been adequately developed and disseminated amongst farmers. Most farmers rely simply on coconut products for their living, and this is inadequate".
It is the Salesians commitment, then, to acquire, experience and develop appropriate technologies in horticulture, crops and animal production, and adapt them to upland conditions (in coconut areas). These agricultural practices are imparted to trainees and later to young farmers through seminars. and integral part of the training is entrepreneurship.
The beneficiaries of the program are youth, male and female, from very poor families in rural society. The training is consequently offered free of tuition costs. Of course the number of applicants is on the increase. The community decided to add one more section of trainees for agriculture for the school year which began on June 13 2007. On the occasion of the 6th anniversary, the Salesians, along with other personnel, inaugurated and blessed two more classrooms.
The majority of graduates are employed in small enterprises or farms. A number of agricultural students return to theor farm to implement the entrepreneurial and livelihood projects by applying the technological skills they have acquired at Don Bosco.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Agro-Mechanical Technology Centre in central Philippines celebrates 6th Foundation Day, blesses new developments
LEGAZPI CITY: 6th July 2007 -- In a special letter to austraLasia, from the Diocese of Legazpi, an account of the 6th Foundation Day of Don Bosco Agro-Mechanical Technology Centre, from a missionary Salesian Brother who has spent more than 40 years in the Philippines. Bro Louis Parolin, Training Director at the Centre, explains a little of the work at this Centre, recording six years of contribution to education, skills training and personal and Christian development of young people in a depressed rural area.
Currently the Centre offers courses, a year and a half duration, in agriculture, agro-mechanics and general electricity for a 148 young men and women from 17-23 years of age. They are developing a 5 hectare site within the Centre with a view to letting young farmers experience and see in action the application of technology, tools, machines for cultivating upland agricultural products, and for animal husbandry.
"It is important to realise", says Bro. Parolin, "that upland agricultural technology has not been adequately developed and disseminated amongst farmers. Most farmers rely simply on coconut products for their living, and this is inadequate".
It is the Salesians commitment, then, to acquire, experience and develop appropriate technologies in horticulture, crops and animal production, and adapt them to upland conditions (in coconut areas). These agricultural practices are imparted to trainees and later to young farmers through seminars. and integral part of the training is entrepreneurship.
The beneficiaries of the program are youth, male and female, from very poor families in rural society. The training is consequently offered free of tuition costs. Of course the number of applicants is on the increase. The community decided to add one more section of trainees for agriculture for the school year which began on June 13 2007. On the occasion of the 6th anniversary, the Salesians, along with other personnel, inaugurated and blessed two more classrooms.
The majority of graduates are employed in small enterprises or farms. A number of agricultural students return to theor farm to implement the entrepreneurial and livelihood projects by applying the technological skills they have acquired at Don Bosco.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
