The Department of Education (DepEd-6) and Maggi, a food and flavoring brand of Nestle Philippines, formally signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of Sarap Sustansya Farm School Program that will be piloted in Western Visayas starting this year.
The program is expected to benefit more than 3,000 learners from 27 school farms in the region. It will equip them with skills in preparing affordable and nutritious meals fresh from their farms.
Dr. Mayleen Joy V. Fariñas, DepEd-6 Field Technical Assistance Division officer-in-charge (OIC), said learners will appreciate their harvest because it will not remain as vegetables that they can sell but it will be converted into value-added products.
As part of the agreement, Maggi will provide DepEd-6 with training and learning materials on Sarap Sustansya cooking, regenerative farming, entrepreneurial skills. It will also distribute essential farming tools to assist faculty and learners in propagating their school farms and vegetable gardens.
Regenerative farming is an approach that focuses on ensuring the health of the soil and waterways, biodiversity and increasing resilience to climate change.
The establishment of farm schools in the region was initiated by DepEd-6 Regional Director Dr. Ramir Uytico. This aims to contextualize career agricultural options for learners and provide them with certifiable technical skills to be productive leaders in agricultural innovations, and produce champions who are globally competitive and equipped with life and career skills.
The initiative is in compliance with Republic Act 10618 or the Farm School Act which encourages every province in the country to establish at least one rural farm school.IMT
Photo by Radyo Pilipinas-Iloilo
