Agri office trains teachers on organic vegetable production

THE Department of Agriculture (DA), through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), has trained 85 primary and secondary teachers as it intensify the implementation of the Gulayan sa Paaralan (GSP) project in the different schools in Zamboanga Peninsula.

GSP regional focal person Ana Aying said those who have undergone the training are the GSP coordinators and garden teacher-in-charge who will be responsible in helping implement the vegetable gardens.

The teachers will be monitored and are required to submit progress reports.

One of the major concerns they tackled in the training is the strongly recommended utilization of organic fertilizer or natural waste materials, Aying said.

The proper procedure and management of vermicomposting was also presented and tackled in the GSP training, Aying added.

He said the resource persons of the training were Hannibal Bayo-ang and Anita Gallebo, both from DA's HVCDP.

During the training, a ceremonial turnover of garden tools was awarded to the City Agriculturist Office and City Schools Division by the DA-HVCDP as represented by Ramon Bucoy, agriculture program coordinator for Zamboanga City.

The garden tools were received by Department of Education (DepEd) regional office representative Dr. Miriam Indin, City Schools Division Supervisor Estella Apolinario, and City HVCDP coordinator Merida Garica.

Aying said the support given by the DA to the schools include garden trowel, grab hoe, shovel, water sprinkler, vegetable seeds and two sacks of organic fertilizer.

Additionally, the DA-HVCDP Gulayan sa Paaralan program will give the best schools in primary and secondary levels with cash awards.

Last year's winner was the Aguinaldo Elementary School from the municipality of Naga in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

Aying said they have already trained 498 teachers in Zamboanga Peninsula from August until October this year.

"This project started only for Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay provinces where it was reported that the poverty incidence and malnutrition rate were high in these areas. But we are expanding the project to all public schools region wide with the help of the DepEd," she added. (Bong Garcia)