Young agri-advocate and UN ambassador Mabulo graces WFD celeb in Bicol

SAN AGUSTIN, PILI, Camarines Sur, Oct. 20 (PIA) – Louise Emmanuelle DG. Mabulo, a 21-year old award-winning chef, entrepreneur, agriculture advocate and global youth ambassador personally graced the Department of Agriculture’s (DA-Bicol) celebration of the World Food Day (WFD), Oct. 16, held at the 3rd Floor, DA Training Hall of Field Operations building, here.
 
Mabulo joined the entire nation in recognizing the significant role of agriculture in uplifting the country’s economy, building a resilient community and how young people can help uplift the current state of agriculture in the country.
 
 “This shows that young people now have a say and are empowered in the agriculture industry. There is also a stigma in our country, where farming is associated to poverty and vulnerability. That mindset keeps people in that cycle and it is time to deconstruct that mindset from the minds of young people. Now is an unparalleled opportunity for the industry of agriculture and food because young people can actually make a difference,” Mabulo elaborated.
 
In a press statement, DA-Bicol Information Officer III Lovella P. Guarin stated that one thing that inspired Mabulo to be called a farmer at such a young age was what her father taught her. It was biblically-inspired which says that agriculture is the direct indicator of God’s blessings for people and the nation.
 
Her advocacy for farmers started in 2016 when typhoon Nock-ten, also known as typhoon Nina, damaged 80% of agricultural area in San Fernando overnight on December 25, 2016. Over a thousand people also lost their homes in the said town where her father, Hon. Fermin Mabulo was the municipal mayor. 
 
Louise saw the urgency to build disaster resilient livelihood which was also environment friendly for the farmers who produce our food.
 
She initiated ‘The Cacao Project’ which won for Louise the Young Champion of the Earth 2019 prize from the United Nations Environment Program.
 
She helped and taught farmers in San Fernando how to maximize their land areas by planting cacao - a high demand crop with high prospect in the global market. Cacao is also an emerging crop in building climate smart and resilient livelihood across the world, she added.
 
As also cited in the DA’s press release, Louise provided seedlings and training program to 200 farmers who planted over 85,000 productive cacao trees in 85 hectares of land in San Fernando.
 
According to her, by diversifying their crops, the farmers can earn P154,000/hectare per year from dried cacao beans alone. If they will process them into fermented cacao beans, the farmers can earn P176,800.00/hectare/year.
 
 She ended her discourse with a passage from Deuteronomy 28:12… “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but borrow from none.” Louise wants to accept this promise for our country that it will lend to many nations but borrow from none. “We can accept prosperity for the Philippines,” she quipped. 
 
Mabulo is currently the Ambassador of Operation Smile Philippines, Breville Phils., and the Department of Tourism’s Flavours of the Philippines. She is also the founder of The Culinary Lounge, and the Camarines Food and Tourism Society. She finished Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University in the United States.
 
Recently, Louise was honored by Forbes Asia as one of the three innovative and talented Filipino youth leaders. She has won numerous internal recognition such as winning a lifetime Fellowship from the Resolution Project for Cacao Project; Best Dessert in Asia Award at the Disciples des Escoffier; Young Talent Trophy at the Restaurant and Bar Show in Hongkong; and Outstanding Young Farmer of the Philippines by JCI International in 2018. She was also a mentor at Farleigh Dickinson University and New York University to delegates from over 116 different countries for the Youth Assembly. (LSMacatangay, with report from Lovella P. Guarin/DA RAFIS 5, PIAV/Camarines Sur)
 
 
 
 
 
 

source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1056515