Foundation, 6 Cebu schools unite in fight vs malnutrition

Six public schools in Metro Cebu partnered with the Aboitiz Foundation for the implementation of a school gardening program to help decrease malnutrition among students.

Dubbed Oh My Gulay! (OMG), an advocacy program of Sen. Edgardo Angara, the project seeks to integrate vegetables into the diet of students and to make available cheap and nutritious vegetables that would enhance the health of residents.

Aboitiz Foundation executive vice president and managing trustee Sonny Carpio signed an agreement with Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, Sen. Edgardo Angara and Dr. Mary Ann Sayoc of East-West Seeds to adopt six schools in Central Visayas, being the recipients of the OMG project.

These schools — Manduwang Elementary School in Minglanilla, Consolacion Central School, Liloan Central School, Cordova Central School, Naga Central School and Talisay Central School — will be provided with planting materials and equipment by Aboitiz Foundation.

East-West Seeds, on the other hand, will provide technical expertise on open-pollinated variety, a method of gardening that allows one to save seeds, among other benefits.

Aside from gardening, OMG also includes training teachers on health benefits of vegetable consumption through an instructional module to be included in home economics classes.

Other activities of the OMG include a tri-media awareness campaign on the nutritional benefits of vegetables, school gardening, feeding and education programs in elementary and high schools.