IN THE next few months, expect backyards of public school across the nation to turn green.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the Department of Education (DepEd) will be implementing its “Gulayan sa Paaralan” project in all public elementary and secondary schools tied up with the “Programang Agrikultura Para Sa Masa” of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“As part of the department’s poverty alleviation programs, Gulayan sa Paaralan will foster public awareness on both the health, nutritional and economic benefits of establishing school, household and community gardens,” Lapus said.
The project will utilize organic gardening technologies to produce selected varieties of vegetables that will address the protein, energy, vitamin A and iron deficiencies of students.
“Due to lack of money for food purchases, hunger and malnutrition are currently experienced by 19 % or 3, 268,000 families in the Philippines. This pressing concern has forced schoolchildren from underprivileged backgrounds to drop-out from school to help their parents earn a living,” according to Lapus.
He said the DepEd also anticipates that households will be able to replicate the small-scale food production models showcased in schools.
School administrators and heads in public as well as private elementary and secondary schools will be in charge of the execution of the project and further government initiatives for hunger mitigation. These include projects by DepEd, the Anti – Hunger Task Force and the National Nutrition Council such as the Food for School Program and other pro-poor feeding schemes.
“The health and nutrition of our children is a crucial factor affecting their academic performance. By making food more accessible to a larger number of families, we can better ensure the success of our students,” Lapus said. (AH/Sunnex)
