From championing sustainable farming in the Philippines, #ProudViscan Norhaya Vasquez Demacaling is now globally recognized as one of the Top Agri-Food Pioneers (TAP) by the World Food Prize Foundation. 

This prestigious international award features the first ever 38 changemakers in agriculture across the globe in celebration of the World Food Prize Foundation’s 38th anniversary this year

Ms. Demacaling, alongside the 37 TAP awardees, will be featured at the 2024 Norman E. Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, from October 29 to 31.

Ms. Demacaling is the Chief Agriculturist and Director for Programs of the School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED Philippines), the country’s pioneering agri-school system for the poor. SEED Philippines is the thriving social education platform of Gawad Kalinga. 

She works to fulfill Gawad Kalinga’s ambition through SEED programs to raise young generation farmers by establishing an avenue for students to learn sustainable farming, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to help escalate food access and security in the country.

Ms. Demacaling hails from Hilongos, Leyte, and is a product of VSU who finished her degree in agribusiness in 2013 as Magna Cum Laude.

In an exclusive interview with her, she revealed that taking a degree program related to agriculture was not originally part of her plan, as she grew up in a community that equates agriculture to poverty, and to pursue this career means fastening your feet hard to deprive yourself. 

However, due to her father’s death, which had left her mother to send them to school alone, it is only through grabbing a scholarship, even if it requires taking agriculture-related programs, that she can assist her mother financially. 

Through the four-year journey, Norhaya’s perspective towards agriculture has shifted. She experienced firsthand how important agriculture is and the underlying opportunities it can give, from understanding the real farming concept to marketing its products. She eventually realized that agribusiness was the right choice.

After graduating, she landed a job where she worked daily from six in the morning until seven at night with the other farmers. That experience resulted in regrets and made her ask herself why she was put in that situation.

“But that is the way of the Lord to teach me patience. After years [of] being in that cycle, everything finally makes sense. All my efforts and sacrifices started to be recognized,” said Norhaya.

In 2017, she was awarded the Gawad Saka Award, a yearly recognition of exceptional individuals and organizations that showcased outstanding performances and significant contributions to the progress of the country's agricultural sector, by the Department of Agriculture.

The #ProudViscan Agri-Top Food Pioneer has trained students on SEED Philippines under the two-year course program on social entrepreneurship. They were able to graduate more than 200 students who took that program, and the majority of them are now working in corporations, and even some now work abroad. 

Albeit the delineated achievement, SEED’s outlook greatly shifted during the pandemic. A set of circumstances drove them to change the temporal from a two-year curriculum to a three-month program. 

Ms. Demacaling and her team realized that two years is a bit long to respond to and address both the basic needs of the community and the organization. The high worth of food and the necessity of growing their food in their yards were accentuated, especially during the blockage of transportation that compromised access to food.

She shared that the three-month course program focuses on organic agriculture and agro-entrepreneurship. Based on the current records, this newly modified program now produces more than 700 graduates and has established six (6) campuses across the country, two (2) campuses in each major island—Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

SEED Philippines wanted to put up a school in every region to bring opportunities to the yards of financially deprived dreamers and disperse it in remote areas.

This will also contribute to the goal of Gawad Kalinga on eradicating poverty and restoring the dignity of the poor and to the goal of SEED Philippines on equipping the next generation with exceptional farming and entrepreneurial skills to provide for future generations.

“With a focus on improving crop productivity and resilience, Demacaling has contributed significantly to research in plant science and environmental management. As a Chief Agriculturalist and Director of Programming for SEED Philippines, her work often involves developing innovative solutions for smallholder farmers, enhancing their ability to adapt to climate change and environmental challenges. Committed to advancing agricultural sustainability, she collaborates with local communities and international organizations to promote effective and eco-friendly farming techniques. Her expertise and dedication to improving food security and agricultural practices have earned her recognition in the field of sustainable agriculture,” the World Food Prize Foundation stated on its website. 

Demacaling believes that the journey that led her to this recognition is actually from the work they do with Gawad Kalinga. It is from their efforts to help communities establish community farms and enroll youths who have no financial access to school.

She also highlighted the preparation and training she received from VSU when she was still a student. She commended the quality of education she experienced that inculcated in her the continuous pursuit of excellence and constant breaking out of her comfort zone.

“Actually, it [VSU’s influence] has [an] impact in every area [of my career] kasi in VSU we’re trained to be excellent. They [the professors] really make sure na yong quality ng graduates, dekalidad talaga na kapag binalikan sila ng institution kung saan nagtatrabaho [ang] mga graduates natin, maganda yong record, maganda yong background. Without those abilities they taught [me], I guess wala ako sa kinatatayuan ko ngayon. Wala ako sa posisyon na meron ako ngayon. Kasi nagsimula talaga ako from being their graduate,” the Top Agri-Food Pioneer champ shared.

Speaking from experience, she encourages students, especially the Viscan community, to continue their aspirations in life. 

“Patuloy lang kayong mangarap. Pero sana sa pag abot n’yo ng inyong mga pangarap, sana isama n’yo yung ibang tao. Regardless of your age or the program you came from, let’s contribute to the collective ambition of making our country food secure. If you wanna go fast, go alone. But if you wanna go farther, go together,” Demacaling concluded.

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