34 schools in NegOr, 6 barangays in Siquijor receive veggie seeds, fertilizers from DA-7

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Central Visayas gave out assorted vegetable seeds and fertilizers worth P108,000 to 34 selected DepEd-Negros Oriental schools and to six barangays in Maria, Siquijor on March 17-18 through its “Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) and Gulayan sa Barangay program (GBP) respectively.

DA-7 Agricultural Provincial Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Negros Oriental Sarah Perocho said that the provision of inputs is part of the 'Adopt a School' partnership program of DA, DepEd and the PLGU of Negros Oriental.

Perocho said that under this partnership, DA-7 provides technical and agricultural assistance like seeds, seedlings, organic fertilizers, trainings, seminars and other agricultural interventions to fortify the establishment of the GPP as a source of healthy foods for the schools’ feeding program.

DepEd Schools Division Supt., Dr. Senen Priscillo Paulin thanked the DA-7 for the partnership saying that DepEd was just very lucky for the program to assist them in the course to deliver quality education by providing students with healthy food, a good tool to better learning and understanding, Paulin said.

According to Mary Ronvile Aba, High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Action Officer of DA-Negros Oriental that they will continue to provide quality seeds for DepEd to produce healthy foods for the students especially during this time of pandemic where health is more at risk.

Meanwhile in Maria, Siquijor six barangays also received vegetable seeds and organic fertilizers which were handed to the barangay captains of Bonga, Cabal-asan, Calunasa, Cantugbas, Logucan and Sawang. by DA-7 Agricultural Provincial Coordinating Officer (APCO) of Siquijor Gregolito Bunado.

Vegetable seeds distributed include tomato, ampalaya, stringbeans, pechay, okra, eggplant, and kangkong.  Bunado said that the thrust of Gulayan sa Barangay program (GBP) is to increase food production, ensure availability, affordability and safe food for people in local communities. 

It also encourages the communities to produce their own food at their backyard or in communal veggie farms and adopt modern agricultural technologies and farming techniques for self-sufficiency and resourcefulness.  Siquijor has 42 barangays that are implementing the GBP, he added.

Barangay Bonga Captain Virgilio Patay thanked the DA-7 for the seed assistance, saying that the GSB will make the barangay and its constituents’ food sufficient, especially during this pandemic.

"Kining mga seeds nga gipanghatag, dili lang mga officials ang makapahimulos, kun dili taman sa gustong mangayo, akong tagaan," Patay said. (These seeds will not only benefit the officials, but everyone who is interested.)

Patay shared that Barangay Bonga was a pilot of GSB and that their barangay earned more than P9,000 from the sales of their GSB. (Photos: DA/Google files)