The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced plans to offer free licensure review courses for agriculture students in a bid to enhance the Philippine agricultural landscape.
“This initiative is particularly crucial under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as food security is a key priority,” stated CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III during a press conference.
The announcement followed the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between CHED, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and 15 select state universities and colleges (SUCs), including Romblon State University – Cajidiocan Campus.
De Vera explained that the “Review and Strategy Program to Empower Students for Licensure Examination for Agriculturists” aims not only to attract more students to the agricultural sector but also to ensure their success in the licensure examination.
Furthermore, De Vera emphasized the need to address the aging demographic of farmers by producing a new generation of agriculturists. He highlighted the importance of ensuring a high passing rate in the licensure examination to meet the growing demand in the agricultural industry.
Under the MOA, UPLB, known for its excellence in the Licensure Examination for Agriculturists (LEA), will conduct the review courses for other SUCs through an online platform. The program will cover key examination topics such as soil science, agricultural economics, animal science, crop protection, crop science, and agricultural extension.
Approximately 500 students are expected to benefit from the 340-hour review program scheduled to run from June 1 to October 20. The selection of participating SUCs was based on their performance in LEA, geographical location, and availability of computer laboratories with strong internet connectivity.
