TARLAC CITY — Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) has sent off 176 students for a prestigious 11-month agricultural training program in Israel, where they will gain hands-on experience in modern farming.

The students are participating in the Agrostudies International Training Program, an initiative in partnership with MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation. The program is designed to bridge academic knowledge with real-world application, placing participants on Israeli farms and agribusinesses.

The trainees will learn about advanced technologies, crop management and sustainable farming techniques to help address global food security challenges.

During a send-off ceremony, university president Dr. Silverio Ramon Salunson called the program a “cornerstone of our commitment to fostering globally competitive graduates.” He expressed confidence that the students will return as “ambassadors of progress, ready to contribute to Philippine agriculture.”

The students are from TAU’s Colleges of Agriculture and Forestry, Engineering and Technology, and Business and Management.

Grace Kelly dela Cruz, TAU’s Agrostudies coordinator, said the internship is a “career-defining milestone that will open doors in the international agri-sector.”

The initiative also includes 500 trainees from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Since 2016, TAU’s Student Placement Office has facilitated overseas internships for more than 1,500 students. The university expects the trainees to return with new insights to drive innovation in local farming communities.