Gulayan sa Barangay at Paaralan program bill pushed

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis Pangilinan has filed a bill to institutionalize the government’s Gulayan sa Barangay at Paaralan Program to strengthen food security and help address hunger, stunting, and malnutrition. 

Pangilinan, who filed Senate Bill No. 2380 or the Gulayan sa Barangay at Paaralan Act last August 4, said the measure will bolster solidarity among communities where neighbors will help in planting fruits and vegetables in community- and school-based gardens. 

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Pangilinan also said that no learners and residents must suffer from hunger when communities can grow vegetables nutritious from their gardens.

Citing a 2023 report of the Department of Science and Technology – Food Nutrition Research Institute, he noted that 31.4% of Filipino households were tagged as “moderately to severely food insecure.”

“Sa pagsasabatas, paiigtingin natin itong programang isinasabuhay ang bayanihan. Tataniman ng magkakapitbahay mismo ang lupa at espasyo para sa mga community gardens, at pagsasaluhan ang mga masustansya at masaganang bunga nito,” Pangilinan said on Saturday.

(This program strengthens solidarity. Neighbors will plant fresh fruits and vegetables in their own spaces in the community and school gardens and partake of the harvest.)

The proposed bill requires every barangay to designate an area for community farming while public schools must implement the program if there are available lots.

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Pangilinan also pointed out that while the school-based garden program thrives on administrative orders, it must be institutionalized to promote sustainability and avoid inconsistencies.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said that over 44,000 schools across the country practice the said initiatives to provide hands-on nutrition education to students. 

“Hindi dapat one-time project ang paglaban sa gutom. Kailangan itong maging tuloy-tuloy, organisado, at bahagi ng ating pambansang programa sa food security,” he noted. 

(This can’t be a one-time project to fight hunger. This needs to be continuous, organized, and part of our national program for food security.)

He also said that the DepEd, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government will facilitate the implementation of the program where the funding will also be sourced from these agencies.

He added that the appropriations for the said program must be included in the annual national budget.  /gsg