By: Kyle Chester Javier-Cotacte,
Community Organizer - Office of the President

XU El Gaucho Youth with 4-H Coordinator and XU Alum Ms. Ezel Lambatan, 4-H XU Student Leaders and Interns,
and Fresco Greenovation Co-Founders Engr Dennis Chavez and XU Alum Kathleen Patimo, RAgr

Last March, Xavier University’s El Gaucho Youth Community took a significant step toward advancing food security and youth empowerment by participating in the 4-H Cagayan de Oro Federation’s quarterly city-wide assembly.

This marks the community’s first formal engagement with the broader network of agri-youth leaders across the city—an important milestone in positioning El Gaucho Youth within local development spaces. The delegation was warmly welcomed by fellow 4-H youth leaders under the leadership of the City Agriculture Office of Cagayan de Oro, reinforcing a shared commitment to strengthening youth participation in agriculture and community development.

The assembly gathered youth leaders from various 4-H club officers across Cagayan de Oro, including representatives from Xavier University’s 4-H Club, established in April 2025. Representing El Gaucho Youth were President Charmel Exsaure, alongside officers Shiela Mae Baricuatro and Honey Mae Exsaure, accompanied by Office of the President Community Organizers Mr Vincent Manus and Mr Kyle Chester Cotacte.

During the session, Ms Ezel Lambatan, Coordinator for 4-H Clubs in Cagayan de Oro and Youth Engagement Officer of the City Agriculture Office, presented key updates, including the upcoming regional summit of 4-H youth leaders to be held in Iligan City. She also formally recognized El Gaucho Youth as one of the emerging 4-H hubs in the city and outlined potential areas for collaboration, particularly in value-added production and urban gardening initiatives that may be supported through city-led programs and grants.

El Gaucho Youth Leaders with Engr Dennis Chavez (CEO and Founder of Fresco Greenovations)
visiting the urban garden facility of Fresco and discussing how Fresco and El Gaucho Youth
could pilot the same project in the El Gaucho Community.

The assembly concluded with updates from the 4-H Federation leadership and presentations of best practices from established 4-H clubs, offering valuable insights for emerging youth organizations like El Gaucho.

More than participation, this engagement signifies a strategic step in expanding the El Gaucho Youth Community’s role beyond the university and into the city’s development landscape. As part of the ongoing El Gaucho Housing and Community Development Project under the Office of the President, this initiative reflects a growing commitment to nurturing Legacies and serving communities —grounded in food security, youth leadership, and collective action.