THE Philippine government hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) joined with the Department of Education (DepEd)-Calauan Sub-office and the Calauan local government to launch the Project OSEL, or Oplan School Edible Landscaping.
SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said this initiative aims to strengthen schools in Calauan, Laguna, by promoting sustainable practices such as establishing edible gardens.
Gregorio said the project seeks to enhance environmental awareness, promote sustainable agriculture and contribute to food security within the educational community by integrating edible landscaping.
During the opening program for the project held last January, Mylene Gutierrez, principal of Calauan Central Elementary School, conveyed her excitement about the project, emphasizing the strengthened collaboration among stakeholders and expressing optimism on replicating the exceptional success achieved by the DepEd-Santa Cruz Sub-office in pioneering school gardens.
In his message, Luis Germina, public schools district supervisor (PSDS) of the Calauan Sub-office, shared his enthusiasm for the launch of the school's edible landscaping project and highlighted his vision of establishing a sustainable garden like that of DepEd-Santa Cruz.
Germina highlighted the garden's significant potential to enhance students' health and nutrition while noting its broader benefits, such as generating income and positively impacting the surrounding community.
Representing the mayor of Calauan, Erwin Sacluti extended a message of support, reiterating the municipal government's full commitment to establishing school gardens across all primary and secondary schools in the locality.
Sacluti also said that the municipal government had procured organic fertilizers to be distributed to schools, ensuring the success of these gardens.
He said they are planning to organize a study visit for all Gulayan sa Paaralan Program coordinators that will allow them to observe and adopt best practices from pilot schools that have successfully implemented and benefited from school gardens.
This initiative aims to refine the edible landscaping program and ensure its long-term sustainability, thereby contributing to the holistic development of students and the wider community, Sacluti added.
Anna Gale Vallez, SEARCA Research and Thought Leadership Department program specialist, introduced the center's School-plus-Home Gardens Project or S+HGP, providing a comprehensive overview of the project's milestones and its successful collaboration with schools in Laguna that have effectively implemented sustainable school gardens.
In her presentation, she encouraged participants to view school gardens not merely as a project but as a holistic and innovative approach to education, environmental stewardship and community development.
Soledad Villanueva, PSDS of Los Baños, presented the opportunities and challenges encountered in implementing school gardens, highlighting their essential role in promoting environmental sustainability and improving student nutrition, and highlighted how the school gardens' impact extends beyond the local community by contributing to personal and professional development.