BY: AMOR Y. SALUDAR
Central Visayas, July 24 (PIA) --- The Department of Education (DepEd-7) in the region advocates for urban and organic vegetable gardening in all public schools.
In a recent Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7) forum, Dr. Roland Villegas Technical Livelihood Education (TLE) and Technical Vocational Education (TVE) Coordinator of DepEd-7 said the department is making sure that the K-12 program of education will be built in with gardening as part of its curriculum and of the courses offered.
Villegas added that taught in schools is micro model type of farming and the conventional or large scale farming. DepEd-7 advocates for organic farming also in support to other agencies’ program on organic and gardening in schools and in the communities.
Villegas noted that urban gardening and organic farming in school is also intended to complement the government's feeding program to malnourished school children and lessen the impact of climate change.
“TLE and Home Economics and Livelihood Education (HELE) teachers will prepare food for the students taken from the garden,” he added.
DepEd's focus fits into the celebration of July as National Nutrition Month that carried the theme “Kalamidad Paghandaan: Gutom at Malnutrisyon Agapan.”
National Nutrition Council (NNC) Nutrition Officer III Susan Orpilla said, one of the effective strategies proven to combat malnutrition and to acquire better nutrition is gardening. “Gardening is the main tool for better nutrition,” Orpilla declared. (mbcn/ays/PIA7)