The Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (DAME) proudly celebrates the remarkable achievement of its students in the Young Farmers’ Challenge (YFC) 2026 Provincial Level for Region IV-A, where six innovative enterprise ideas led by 10 BS Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (BS ABME) students emerged as provincial winners.
The winning enterprises demonstrate the students’ entrepreneurial capacity to develop value-adding solutions for the agricultural sector. Each enterprise received ₱80,000 in start-up seed capital, bringing the cohort’s total winnings to an impressive ₱480,000, which will serve as seed capital for their respective start-ups.
The Winning Student-led Enterprises
Cordava
Stefhanie Ann A. Gontiñas
Addresses the underutilization of Cardaba banana parts and the need for more sustainable food options. Its innovation transforms overlooked banana pseudostems, peels, and blossoms into 100% plant-based processed-meat alternatives inspired by Filipino flavors. Its flagship product is a plant-based luncheon meat available in Classic, Hot & Spicy, Sisig, and Adobo flavors. Building from this flagship product, Cordava is expanding into plant-based sausages, nuggets, and other processed-meat formats, bringing innovative and distinctly Filipino food choices to consumers.
CRAY-GO
Meral G. Tolentino and Lanz Yuan J. Centeno
A bottled seafood product featuring flavorful shellfish and tilapia meat. It is designed to make eating seafood more convenient by eliminating the hassle of dealing with shells and fish bones. With CRAY-GO, customers can enjoy the rich flavor of seafood without the need to manually remove shells and tinik. Its convenient format makes seafood easier to enjoy anytime and anywhere.
Shroom & Bloom
Abigail Joy O. Oleta and Samantha B. Posadas
Offers fresh, locally grown oyster mushrooms that combine premium quality, affordability, and sustainability through an efficient farm-to-market production system. Unlike mushrooms transported from distant production areas, its localized production and shorter distribution channels provide consumers with freshly harvested mushrooms with better freshness, texture, and nutritional quality. The enterprise also promotes environmentally responsible farming by utilizing agricultural waste materials as cultivation substrates, supporting circular agricultural practices and resource efficiency. As it grows, Shroom & Bloom plans to introduce value-added mushroom products that provide consumers with healthier alternatives while creating value for local farmers, market partners, and the broader agribusiness sector.
RadBae
Bryan Angelo R. Andion and Kyla Jhoy R. Cruz
Derived from “radish” and “bacon,” RadBae is an innovative agribusiness product that transforms locally sourced radish into a flavorful plant-based bacon alternative. It addresses the growing demand for healthier and more sustainable food choices while creating a value-added use for an often-underutilized crop. RadBae values local farmers by providing opportunities to maximize the value of their produce and strengthening the connection between farmers and consumers. Through partnerships with local farmer organizations, it aims to support sustainable agriculture while promoting innovative uses of local crops and creating shared value for consumers, farmers, and the agricultural community.
PresQ Sus-tainable Farm
Jimuel P. Fabre
A start-up integrated farm in Sariaya, Quezon, focused on pig production anchored on sustainability and environmental care. The farm adopts odor-reducing practices, including the use of carbon-rich materials such as rice husks and other agro-wastes in bedding systems, responsible feed management, and strict waste handling. At the core of its operations is waste-to-value innovation, where piggery by-products are transformed into bio-organic fertilizer through composting and biochar through pyrolysis, turning waste into value while creating additional income streams. Beyond livestock, PresQ promotes circular agriculture by using these piggery waste products to support the farm’s bio-intensive gardening, maximizing land use and diversifying production.
SoYCrave
Yohj Gabriel T. Bejosano and Christian Josef P. Vallo
A plant-based seafood flavoring that recreates the savory, aromatic character of crab and shrimp through a seafood-free formulation. Inspired by the bold flavors of seafood Cajun cuisine, it delivers a distinctive depth and richness to food without the use of actual seafood. SoYCrave offers a more accessible alternative to conventional seafood, which can be costly and high in cholesterol, while also being suitable for individuals with crab and shrimp allergies. It brings the essence of seafood flavor into a versatile, plant-based form, providing consumers with greater variety and flexibility in their food choices.
Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Agribusiness
The students’ achievements and enterprise ideas reflect DAME’s commitment to developing young entrepreneurs who can contribute innovative and sustainable solutions to the agricultural sector. Their ventures are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2: Zero Hunger, through their contributions to food and agricultural systems; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, through entrepreneurship and the creation of livelihood opportunities; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through the development of innovative agricultural products and processes; and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, through the utilization of agricultural resources, waste reduction, and more sustainable production practices.
The Department extends its congratulations to the Entrepreneurship Cluster, led by Asst. Prof. Rei Chino C. Pua, as well as Asst. Prof. Cris Edwin B. Bonalos and Asst. Prof. Reginald B. Vargas, who served as mentors to the students, and to all DAME faculty involved in supporting the students throughout the competition. As the students advance to the Regional Level, DAME looks forward to seeing these promising young entrepreneurs further develop their ideas and demonstrate the potential of student-led innovation in agribusiness.
Read also the announcement on the DAME Facebook page.