Philippines launches a vegetable gardening project to be managed by schoolchildren

Department of Agriculture launches “Gulayan sa Paaralan” in Muntinlupa City

Philippines Information Agency
May 18, 2015

MUNTINLUPA CITY, 18 May (PIA)–Hundreds of students, school and local government officials joined the launching of Gulayan sa Paaralan in Muntinlupa City.

Gulayan sa Paaralaan, a vegetable gardening project initiated by DA and the Department of Education, will be managed by the schoolchildren themselves to encourage them to plant and eat healthy vegetables.

During the launch, Mr. Felix Joselito Noceda, coordinator of Urban Agriculture Program of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture (BPI,DA) for NCR and Region-4A , turned over agricultural assistance to the Muntinlupa City local government unit led by Mayor Jaime R. Fresnedi and Congressman Rodolfo G. Biazon.

According to Noceda, the DA has finished crafting a training manual that teaches students from all over the country the fundamentals of vegetable farming. Noceda emphasized the importance of encouraging young children to take part in food production.

“Hindi lamang sa mga rural areas, dapat maski sa mga urban areas gaya ng Muntinlupa ay gumagawa rin ng pagkain. Di lamang matatanda, pati mga estudyante’t bata ay maaring makiisa sa produksyon ng pagkain,” Noceda said.

To boost agricultural production in the barangays of Muntinlupa City, DA provided assistance including two complete composting facilities for organic fertilizer production, solar pump for corn production, 6000 seedlings of assorted fruit trees (calamansi, rambutan, cacao, and coffee), 16,000 vegetable seed packets, greenhouse for seedling production, and farm tools.

DA-Bureau of Animal Industry provided animals such as quail, chicken, and ducks while the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources provided thousands of fish fingerlings that will be grown in urban ponds.

Katarungan Village Homeowners Association President Josie Savedia said an idle lot measuring more than a hectare inside their village was converted into an integrated urban agriculture site that has been serving residents as food basket and main source of commodities to sustain supplementary feeding within the community.

“For more than a year now, residents of the village harvest cacao, papaya, tanglad, malunggay, lettuce, red chili, string beans, tomato, and major vegetables from their urban agriculture project,” Savedia said.

“Fresh produce from the project is either given to needy villagers or sold at an affordable price,” Savedia added.

Savedia adds that, “hito (catfish), dalag (mudfish), and tilapia are also abundant in the ponds inside the urban agri site.”

She said that the urban agriculture project has tremendous benefits to Katarungan Village homeowners.

“It taught us to be responsible. Now we are more conscious of our environment and continue to transform small vacant spaces into productive agricultural areas,” she said

The Department of Agriculture continues to campaign for the greening of the Metropolis as part of its efforts to ensure safe and sufficient food supply in urban areas. )

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Also see: Sowing the Seeds in Public Schools in the Philippines.