2 agencies to implement Gulayan sa Paaralan

Thursday, June 30, 2011

AS PART of President Benigno Aquino III's hunger mitigation and poverty alleviation efforts, the departments of Agriculture and Education in Northern Mindanao will implement a "Gulayan sa Paaralan" in all public elementary and secondary schools.

The project will be implemented not only in the region but in the whole country as well as it targets to establish 42,076 vegetable gardens by 2016.

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Glean Janobas, focal person of Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Unit (RFU), said DA Secretary Proceso Alcala signed the implementing guidelines of the Gulayan sa Paaralan under the Programang Agrikulturang Pilipino (Agri-Pinoy) of the DA Administrative Order 5, with the objective of promoting vegetable production through natural farming in public elementary and secondary schools.

"This is to promote self-help food production activities and values appreciation of agriculture as life support system among children," Janobas said while explaining the guidelines of the program.

The gardens, Janobas added, will serve as source of additional vegetables for home consumption, especially that the initiative aims to raise awareness on the health and nutritional benefits of vegetables, as well as its economic benefits by encouraging more household and community gardens.

He said participating schools should have a vacant lot of at least 200 square meters but those with no vacant lots may adopt container gardening.

Under the Gulayan sa Paaralan project, the DA RFUs will provide seeds of preferred and indigenous vegetables, planting materials of root crops, such as sweet potato and cassava, and technical assistance.

Local Government Units (LGUs), in partnership with the DA RFU/Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and non-government organizations, will coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) in the conduct of trainings among schoolchildren and teachers about growing vegetables and organic fertilizers production, among others.

To sustain the program and to generate enthusiasm and interest, a competition on "Best School Gardens" will be launched by the school district.

Contest guidelines and prizes will be crafted by DepEd in partnership with the congressional representatives and governors.

Prizes or incentives such as school buildings, computers, potable water systems, garden tools and implements will be solicited from the congressmen and local chief executives.

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez (second district) who supports the project has already committed to give prizes and incentives for the winners.