This month of April, the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines joins the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Department of Tourism, and Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement in the celebration of the Filipino Food Month. Also called Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino, it aims to advocate for food, gastronomy, and farm tourism and to foster awareness, appreciation, and preservation of Filipino culinary history and heritage.

Pasto de Iriola, a family-owned farm located in Ocampo, Camarines Sur, is spearheaded by Jun (Gaudencio) Iriola who is among the intrepid breed of “agripreneurs” in the Bicol Region now actively pursuing economic upliftment through agriculture and promoting food production for self-sufficiency. Search this descriptive term on the internet and one would come across Agripreneurship 101, a course offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It is FAO’s goal to achieve food security for all and enable people to have access to high-quality food and be able lead active, healthy lives. The Bicol agripreneurs lead the way in their thrust towards high-value farm crops propagation and livelihood formation in the region.

An agripreneur is an entrepreneur in agriculture and, as such, knows how to identify, evaluate, and pursue opportunities in a given agrifood value chain. Jun Iriola, who manages the day-to-day operations of Pasto de Iriola, is one such individual. Armed with valuable experience and global perspective gained from his long professional career abroad, he is committed to contributing to the development of agribusiness and creation of livelihood opportunities in Bicol. In addition to running his farm operations, he actively supports the initiatives of the DA’s ATI (Agriculture Training Institute) and TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) by offering education and skills development for farmers and students.

Jun Iriola’s farm, Pasto De Iriola Agri-Tourism and Family Farm, does business as Iriola’s Pasture Corporation, the legal entity. The farmland is 10.2 hectares of green pasture in Zone 2, New Moriones, Ocampo, Camarines Sur. Located about 37 km. distance from Naga City, New Moriones is the last barangay of Ocampo bordering the towns of Tigaon and Sagñay. The picturesque farm has a commanding view of Mt. Isarog from the south, Mt. Asog/Iriga and the crest of Mt. Mayon from the west as well as the Mt. Masaraga range near Sagñay. A river runs through the end of the farm dividing New Moriones and Mabalodbalod in the town of Tigaon. Rich fertile soils and favorable mountainside weather conditions have made the area conducive to productive farming.

Pasto De Iriola, the shorter name of the farm, started operations in February 2019 as Iriola’s Pasture Corporation, a family-owned enterprise. Jun acquired the land as his post-retirement investment. His mission is to help agriculture in the Philippines by serving local farmers (from the old and young generations) with high technology and good agricultural practices. Through Pasto de Iriola, his goals are to provide employment and to attain food sustainability in the country. It is his way of giving back.

Jun Iriola who hails from Nabua, Camarines Sur, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Adamson University. He worked in the United Nations for 25 years. When he retired in 2018, he and his family decided to move back to the Philippines. Inspired by the success of the agricultural sector in the countries he visited when he was with the UN missions, his vision for the farmers in the Philippines is for them to be just as successful and wealthy as their counterparts abroad.

Pasto de Iriola is a family endeavor. Jun and his wife Ludi directly oversee and manage its daily farm operations. Their children help whenever they have the time away from school and work. Although not a farmer by education, Jun loves farming. He saw the important role farmers play especially during the COVID pandemic. Without the farms, there would not have been food on people’s tables, and many would have gone hungry during the pandemic. He has come to value agriculture as the backbone of the Philippine economy.

When Jun became interested in going into farming after his retirement, he immersed himself in available agricultural learning and training programs. He challenged himself to apply for and complete the certifications. Furthermore, he engaged in useful activities to gain practical knowledge in the sector. He put these learning programs to good use, and these have greatly contributed to the success of his farm.

Pasto de Iriola is a diversified and integrated agri-tourism farm. For Jun, agriculture is not only about crops – it’s about vegetation, animals, and nature. To him all that God has created for humanity comprises agriculture. The birds in the sky, the fish in the seas, the animals, the trees and vegetation comprise agriculture. The farm propagates high-value crops, like lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, dragon fruit, and herbs such as parsley. The high value crops are sold directly to restaurants and hotels in the neighboring localities. It also sells naturally grown fresh vegetables and serves farm fresh food and drinks to its visitors. It also produces concoctions and extracts from its fruit-bearing trees. It makes its own feeds (mixed feeds) for livestock and ruminants.

More importantly, Pasto de Iriola also functions as a farm school. It is an accredited “Learning Site for Agriculture” with the DA/ATI, an accredited “Technical Vocational Institution (TVI) Farm School” with TESDA, and an accredited “Farm Site” with the DOT. Its TESDA accreditation as a farm school allows qualified students and individuals to avail themselves of their scholarships at Pasto de Iriola. Although these scholars come mostly from Bicol, the farm school also welcomes enrollees from other regions in the country.

Currently, Pasto de Iriola offers its facilities for on-the-job training as it has immersion agreements with Bicol schools, colleges, and universities, such as Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, Camarines Norte State College, Ocampo National High School, Bagasina Senior National High School, Nato National High School, and Cabalindan High School.

Besides these, the farm also provides catering services for various events such as organization team buildings, training sessions, camping, wedding receptions, and concerts. Its large fields, training hall, and accommodations are readily available to cater to various types of events. Visitors can relax in their dormitory rooms and “kubotels.” There are wide open tent spaces for overnight camping. For the adventurous, there are rental ATV rides. Its efforts are geared towards the constant promotion of its services to its clients. Jun Iriola continues to look forward to more partnerships in the field of agriculture.

Pasto De Iriola Agri-Tourism and Family Farm is a proud member of the Camarines Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CSCCI). Jun feels blessed to have been tasked to serve as the Chairperson of the 5th Bicol Agri-Summit. This has given him the chance to promote the development of agribusiness in the region and share good agricultural practices with the local farmers. He particularly takes pride in partnering with various educational institutions and cooperatives in providing more OJT and immersions for students to widen their knowledge and skills in agriculture.

Currently, Pasto de Iriola supports the Bicol Learning Sites for Agriculture’s (BLSA) ongoing project called the “Top 555” project. Under this program, It buys the following five crops fresh with no limits: Kamoreng Kahoy (lakan white), Malunggay (with stem), Taro (green), Ube (purple variety), and Uraro (arrowroot), together with starter products: Banana Leaves (at least 10″ width), and Tanglad (whole plant). Call Pasto de Iriola at 0949-964-9006 for more details. It aims to educate farmers on how to successfully become business owners and to bridge the gap between farmers and agribusiness and enable them to become successful “agripreneurs” through proper skills and best practices training. Pasto de Iriola also promotes the Bicol Region’s agri-tourism industry and participates in the circuit day tours conducted in Ocampo.

Enjoy the sights and activities around Pasto de Iriola

This report was written by Jojo De Jesus for Dateline Ibalon based on his written interview (questionnaire form) with Jun Iriola, together with content and images from the Pasto de Iriola FB page and the DA-ATI Bicol FB page and website.