Ilocos norte: The government of Israel is exploring opportunities of cooperation with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte regarding best practices in modern agriculture. In a press conference held at the Ilocos Norte Capitol, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh announced that discussions with local officials have been initiated to address challenges on food security.

According to Philippines News Agency, Kursh highlighted the significant opportunities for collaboration and expressed anticipation for greater cooperation. During her two-day visit to Ilocos Norte, Kursh aimed to strengthen cultural ties, promote business exchanges, and deepen people-to-people connections.

As part of the initiative, a demonstration farm will be established at the state-run Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City to showcase Israel's technology that could be locally adopted. Among the innovations being considered is Israel's water harvesting technology.

Kursh emphasized the potential benefits of these innovations, noting, "This is the next big thing and we would like to help. We can bring a lot of experts to learn from us." Additionally, she invited Filipino students to apply to the Philippine-Israel Internship Program for the Youth, an 11-month on-farm training program designed to impart advanced agricultural technologies and practices.

The internship program, conducted in partnership with the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) and the Agrostudies International Training Center, has already benefited over 600 students in the past two years.