CABANGAN, Camalig, Albay—  To promote food security in schools and help Albay farmers increase productivity, the Department of Agriculture in Bicol through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) launched the 2025 Gulayan sa Paaralan Program on June 23, 2025.

 A total of P3,483,757.00 worth of interventions were distributed.

The recipient schools were very happy with the timely distribution as these will support the establishment of school gardens and will greatly help in feeding malnourished children thereby boost overall nutrition and wellbeing of students. The distribution also coincided with the Brigada Eskwela where the students and parents help in the school beautification and establishment of gardens.

The vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and garden tools were distributed to 55 schools; five barangays; and three farmers associations and cooperatives as part of the Launching of Gulayan and Mass Distribution of HVCDP interventions held at the Albay Provincial Agriculture Office (APAO).

Three elementary or secondary schools in each municipality or city were the 2025 recipients of the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program amounting to Php348,965.00. Meanwhile, one barangay-recipient of Gulayan sa Barangay Program each in Pioduran, Guinobatan, Polangui, Camalig, and Ligao City received  Php622,039.00 worth of interventions. Three farmers associations/cooperative in Daraga, Polangui, and Oas amounting received lowland vegetable seeds worth Php2,512,753.00.

The interventions, aside from the vegetable seeds and garden tools, include vegetable twine, plastic crates, vermicast, seedling trays, water hose, bolo, hand trowel, hand fork prong and hoe cultivator, hand sprayer, pruning shears, plastic mulch, UV plastic, Tunneling Film and IEC materials. These was received by different representatives of schools; municipal, city and provincial agriculturists, Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council, and officials of farmers associations. (Jayson M. Gonzales with photos from Mark Asor)