As an Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship student from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, I have been immersed with the various aspects of the Philippine’s agricultural sector. My academic journey has equipped me with a strong foundation that has been instrumental during my internship at the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA).
Working with PPSA has exposed me to a broader perspective of the industry, allowing me to engage with various stakeholders, understand complex agricultural challenges, and engage in developing innovative concepts. This whole experience has solidified my understanding of the criticality of applying sustainable practices in the sector’s success. Prior to joining PPSA, I have no experience engaging with a multi-stakeholder platform in agriculture. PPSA’s collaborative and revolutionary approach to bridging industry gaps fascinated me. As I worked on different projects, I was able to understand the inner functioning of their organization.
One of the highlights of my stay with PPSA was conceptualizing and organizing a webinar event. This task provided me insights in PPSA’s way of event management — from planning to convening stakeholders and hosting the event. Despite my lack of experience in this aspect, with multiple revisions and repeated practice, the event became a huge success. My other tasks included participating in other projects including the Strategic Learning Agenda component of the Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura Project by the Mennonite Economic Development Associates and the East-West Seed Foundation Philippines’ Gulayaman Program’s compendium of best practices. I was also involved in creating various publication materials for different events and populating Grow Asia’s stakeholder database.
My brief stay with PPSA was a whirlwind of learnings and new experiences. I gained invaluable insights on the different stakeholders in the agricultural sector and their role in it. Beyond acquiring knowledge and skills, I also saw how important effective management, clear communication and flexibility is in ensuring a project’s success.
Engaging with the PPSA team also made me realize the importance of having a positive organizational culture, which fosters a collaborative and engaging working environment. Thanks to the teams’ brimming support, my stay in the PPSA became an enriching and fun experience. Overall, managing all these projects simultaneously with various individuals proved to be both challenging and enriching experiences which led to a significant personal and professional growth.
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