WV public schools to implement 'Gulayan sa Paaralan'
Public elementary and secondary schools in Western Visayas will soon become a haven of nutritious varieties of vegetables when "Gulayan sa Paaralan" project is implemented.
The project is envisioned by the Department of Education (DepEd) to help address hunger and malnutrition concerns in the country, according to Secretary Jesli A. Lapus as he explained that "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."
"Hunger and malnutrition are two problems that affect 19.0 % or 3,268,000 families in the country," Secretary Lapus said in his memorandum to education officials.
These two concerns, Lapus said, has forced underprivileged schoolchildren drop-out from school to help their parents earn a living.
Gulayan sa Paaralan project which will utilize organic gardening technologies, is also aimed to a) establish school gardens to serve as the food basket/main source of commodities to sustain supplementary feeding;b) intensify production of selected varieties of fruits and vegetables that are rich resources of protein, calorie, vitamins and minerals to improve child nutrition;c) showcase small-scale food production models in schools for the household/community to replicate purposely to promote family food security;and e) inculcate among the studentry the values of good health and nutrition, industry, love of labor and caring for others.
The project is also tied up with the Programang Agrikultura Para Sa Masa of the Department of Agriculture.
DepEd VI Information Officer Violinda Gonzales said in a PIA interview that school supervisors concerned will be submitting quarterly reports in order to monitor the progress of the implementation of the project.
(T.Villavert/PIA)