Schools in Catanduanes adopt DAR’s urban vegetable farming program

OIC-PARPO II Nerisa B. Aldea and CNHS Principal Amelia R. Eusebio, officially dug the shovel as an act signifying the department's commitment to support and further strengthen the school's urban vegetable farming program. 

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the province of Catanduanes, in partnership with Catanduanes National High School (CNHS), San Andres Vocational School and Magnesia National High School recently launched the “Buhay sa Gulay” project to intensify the institutions’ existing urban farming program.

The “Buhay sa Gulay” project is an initiative of DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones to have an urban vegetable farming project which is a self-help start-up livelihood project where concerned government agencies and organizations converge, share resources, and offer an opportunity to enable the urban farmers to produce various vegetables, that could also serve as an additional source of income.

CNHS Principal Amelia Eusebio said they decided to link arms with the DAR to further strengthen their existing “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program because they believe that the department gives their all-out support in promoting urban vegetable farming nationwide to help contribute to the country’s food security.

“The participating school officials and the Parent-Teachers Associations understand our resources’ limitations and to ensure the program’s success, we tap the DAR’s support to achieve our goals,” Eusebio said.

The schools have allotted more or less 2,500 square meters for vegetable productions, where teachers and parents agreed to alternately manage the activities.

The schools allotted 2,500 square meter land planted with various vegetables.

DAR-Catanduanes OIC-Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Nerisa Aldea said she is pleased that these institutions recognize the importance of urban gardening in the community and acknowledged DAR’s role in this noble advocacy.

“We would provide them with various farm inputs, tools, guidance, and a sure market for their farm yields,” Aldea said.

Aldea added that they created a group chat with all the involved participants so that they could be updated on their activities and monitor their projects, as well as raise their concerns and setbacks they would encounter to facilitate the immediate assistance they would need.

“Apart from the assistance that we would provide them, we also look for establishments where they could supply their produce. The Bureau of Jail and Management Penology, National Nutrition Council, and nearby local trade centers, are expected to be their market,” she divulged.

The Buhay sa Gulay program was launched in November last year, in St. John Don Bosco Parish, Tondo Manila, to contribute in securing the country’s food supply amidst the ill effect of the pandemic. In partnership with the DAR, various parishes, local government units and other groups and organizations followed suit, upon seeing the success and impact it had in the community.

Mga paaralan sa Catanduanes inilunsad ang programang urban vegetable farming ng DAR

Inilunsad kamakailan ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) sa lalawigan ng Catanduanes, sa pakikipagtulungan sa Catanduanes National High School (CNHS), San Andres Vocational School at Magnesia National High School ang proyektong “Buhay sa Gulay” upang paigtingin ang urban vegetable farming program ng mga nasabing institusyon.

Ang Buhay sa Gulay project ay inisyatibo ni DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones upang magkaroon ng urban vegetable farming project na isang self-help start-up livelihood project kung saan ang mga concerned government agencies at organizations ay magtutulungan upang makapagbigay ng oportunidad na palakasin ang mga urban farmers sa pamamagitan ng pagtatanim ng gulay, na maaari ding makapagbigay dagdag kita sa kanila.

Ayon kay CNHS Principal Amelia Eusebio, napagdesisyunan nilang makipagtulungan sa DAR upang lumakas ang kanilang programang “Gulayan sa Paaralan” dahil naniniwala silang todo suporta ang ibinibigay ng ahensiya sa programang urban vegetable farming dahil nakatutulong ito sa food security ng bansa.

“Nauunawaan ng mga opisyal ng participating schools at ng mga Parent-Teachers Association na limitado ang aming mga resources, at upang maseguro ang tagumpay ng aming programa, humingi kami ng suporta sa DAR upang makamit namin ang aming mga layunin,” ani Eusebio.

Ang mga paaralan ay naglaan ng humigit-kumulang na 2,500 kwadrado-metrong lupa para sa vegetable productions, kung saan ang mga guro at mga magulang ay nagkasundo na magpalitan sa pamamahala ng kanilang mga aktibidad.

Ayon kay DAR-Catanduanes OIC-Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Nerisa Aldea natutuwa siya dahil kinikilala ng mga institusyon ang kahalagahan ng urban gardening sa komunidad at kinikilala rin nila ang papel na ginagampanan ng DAR sa adbokasiyang ito.

“Magbibigay kami ng iba’t ibang farm inputs, tools, gabay, at siguradong merkado para sa kanilang mga pananim,” ani Aldea.

Idinagdag din niya na gumawa sila ng group chat para sa mga involved participants upang magkaroon sila ng update sa mga aktibidad at mamonitor ang mga proyekto, gayun din upang masabi nila ang kanilang mga alalahanin at mga sagabal na kakaharapin upang agaran din silang mabibigyan ng gabay.

“Bukod sa tulong namin, naghahanap din kami ng mga establisyemento na mapagbabagsakan ng kanilang mga ani. Ang Bureau of Jail and Management Penology, National Nutrition Council, at mga kalapit na local trade centers ay mga inaasahan na nilang mamimili,” aniya.

Ang programang Buhay sa Gulay ay inilunsad noong Nobyembre ng nakaraang taon sa St. John Don Bosco Parish, Tondo Manila, upang makatulong sa pagseseguro ng pagkain ng bansa sa gitna ng hindi magandang epekto ng pandemya. Sa pakikipagtulungan sa DAR, ang iba’t ibang simbahan, mga local government units at iba pang grupo at organisasyon sa buong bansa ay nagsipagsunuran din sa programang ito dahil sa ipinakitang tagumpay at epekto ng programa sa komunidad.