Graphic by Uriel Astorga
DailyGreen, a team of entrepreneurship students from Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) – Main Campus, received a ₱150,000 start-up grant as a regional awardee in the Young Farmers Challenge Regional Level on Thursday, October 15, at the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office VIII (DA-RFO VIII) in Kanhuraw Hill, Tacloban City.
Made from seven locally sourced vegetables, Team DailyGreen introduced VeggieBalls as ready-to-cook, vegetable-based and preservative-free product that offers consumers an alternative food option, while addressing local agricultural waste and creating steady market demand for regional vegetables.
By processing raw local produce into a convenient food concept, VeggieBalls aims to provide sustainable economic opportunities for local farmers while delivering accessible nutrition to consumers.
Said team is led by Raphael Vic Martinez alongside Nikka Marie Esperas, Jhon Paul Dacuital, Andrei Godwin Rosal, and Kate Vianci Lagunay under the guidance of Prof. Marvin Nilo de Veyra.
Hosted by the Department of Agriculture, the competition underscores engagement in agriculture and agri-entrepreneurship among youth aged 18 to 30 through financial grants and business development support, gathering student-entrepreneurs across the region to display innovative ideas that offer viable, sustainable solutions to local community problems.
Raphael Vic Martinez, team leader and fourth-year student from Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship, explained that DailyGreen addresses community problems by transforming ideas into a sustainable product that benefits and creates market opportunities for local farmers.
“DailyGreen does not only focus on selling a product but also addresses real problems in our community. VeggieBalls transforms locally sourced vegetables into a convenient, ready-to-cook product while helping minimize vegetable waste and creating potential market opportunities for local farmers. We combine health, convenience, and sustainability in one product, which gives our business both commercial value and social impact,” he shared.
Martinez further added that their achievement boosts the team’s confidence to expand DailyGreen and turn their vision into a sustainable business, serving as the start of greater opportunities to create a positive impact in the community.
Meanwhile, team adviser Prof. Marvin Nilo De Veyra noted the team’s execution, reminding student-entrepreneurs that genuine credibility is established through actual market implementation rather than academic credentials alone.
“As a fellow entrepreneur, do not wait for perfect conditions, complete data, or total certainty to perform. Use your academic discipline to effectively analyze the risks, but rely on your entrepreneurial background to take action. You have built an entity that solves a genuine human problem, and remember that true credibility isn’t earned through a degree but built through execution, integrity, and resilience,” he said.
Following DailyGreen’s victory in the recent INNOV8 Leyte Start-Up Business Challenge 2026, the team will once again represent the Eastern Visayas Region at the national level with their innovative ideas and community-focused approach.
Article by Niña Mae Marañon