Roving for Knowledge—In the Field

Moscat

At MOSCAT, the group met with Juan Nagtalon, President, and Hermenegildo Sitoy, Agroforestry Instructor. They provided a briefing about the college and its conservation farming research and extension activities.

Of particular interest to the Vietnamese group were MOSCAT's "ladderized" agroforestry curriculum—in which students have the option of either becoming agroforestry practitioners after two years of study and field practicum or continuing their BS degree program. There were also discussions about the College's outreach function, through community-based training and projects such as ASPECTS.

Enrolment and interest of students in agroforestry and related fields remain high at MOSCAT, in fact beyond their current absorptive capacity. These days, government job opportunities are scarce. Therefore, to encourage entrepreneurial initiatives, MOSCAT helps to facilitate loans to support the students' field practicum work. And the College is trying to lobby for the provision of loans to graduates who wish to develop agroforestry enterprises.