DepEd pushes for vegetable gardens in school

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to work closely with the Oh My Gulay! advocacy of Senator Edgardo Angara to expand the department’s vegetable garden project in schools called ‘’Gulayan sa Paaralan’’ to address malnutrition, which affects one in every three public school children.

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said one of the ironies in our society is the fact that children go hungry when food can be grown here year round.

“Wala sanang bata na undernourished kung lagi tayong nagtatanim at kumakain ng gulay at prutas na madami dito sa atin,” said Luistro.

Luistro said children who are not properly nourished are physically and mentally weak, susceptible to infection and diseases and cannot cope with school work. “At sa kanilang paglaki, hindi rin makapagtrabaho ng maayos,” added Luistro.

At present, there are some 6,000 public elementary and high schools involving 1.8 million students in the Gulayan project. “While 6,000 seem like a big number, it only represents 15 percent of all public schools in the country,” noted Luistro.

Lowest in vegetable consumption
Studies have shown that among Southeast Asians, Filipinos rank lowest in vegetable consumption at 40 kilograms per head each year. This is in contrast to China whose consumption is 250 kilos per head each year.

Latest figure from the Food and Nutrition Research Council showed that 26 in very 100 children (6-10 years old – 25.6 percent ) or about 1.8 million school children are underweight for their age; 33 in every 100 children (6-10 years old – 33.1 percent) or about 1.2 million school children are stunted or short for their age and 20 in every 100 school children (6-12 years old – 19.8 percent) are anemic.

“Paano natin papalaganapin ang kaugnayan ng masustansiyang pagkain sa kanilang pag-aaral at sa pagtatrabaho sa di-kalaunan? Paano natin maipaparating sa mga bata at sa kanilang mga magulang ang kabutihang dulot ng regular na pagkain ng prutas at gulay?” Luistro asked.

Luistro noted that the advocacy on healthy diet focused on eating more vegetables and fruits are drowned out by a more aggressive advertising campaign of fast food chains which push for more meat consumption.

“Sa totoo lang kaagapay din sila sa edukasyon pero ang sinasabi natin sana mabalanse ang kampanya at mabigyan ng patas na importansiya ang pagkain ng gulay at prutas,” Luistro emphasized.

School gardens
One of the future plans of DepEd is to scale up Gulayan sa Paaralan and make it an institutional advocacy in schools and not just a passing fancy.

It also envisions more activities on environmental protection, waste composting in schools and to work closely with the organizers of Oh My Gulay! on healthy eating advocacy.

Based on DepEd estimates, it costs an initial P50,000 to start a school garden to cover seeds, fertilizer, garden tools and farm implements, farmer’s hut, nursery and fencing.

“Maliit na halaga lang ito kung tutuusin kapalit ng napakalaking benepisyo sa buong komunidad ng gulayan sa paaralan,” quipped Luistro.

DepEd’s goal is to establish a sustainable vegetable garden in all of the country’s 42, 076 public elementary and secondary schools.