In his message delivered by RDD Program Head Dr. Bessie M. Burgos, SEARCA Director Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr. stressed the importance of “renewing interest among the youth in agriculture while promoting community and food nutrition security.” The project focuses on three interrelated areas of development including nutrition (improved food diversity and availability through school gardens), education (learning-by-doing food production activities), and economics (savings on food costs and added income).
The workshop was attended by representatives from UPLB’s OVCRE, Crop Science Cluster and Agricultural Systems Cluster both under the College of Agriculture (CA), and Institute of Human Nutrition and Food from the College of Human Ecology (CHE); Department of Education (DepEd) Laguna Division; principals and teachers of the pilot schools; Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and Provincial Planning and Development Coordination Office (PPDCO) of Laguna; and Knowledge Resources Unit under SEARCA’s Knowledge Management Department.
The whole-day workshop was facilitated by Dr. Burgos and Dr. Ma. Virginia B. Camarinta, University Researcher II of OVCRE. Before the plenary workshop, Dr. Raden G. Piadozo of CHE, Mr. Lamberto Perolina of DepEd Laguna, and Mrs. Genoveva Aquino of OPA expressed their respective agency’s commitment to the project. Mr. Perolina emphasized the relevance of the food and nutrition program in asserting the role of different stakeholders in raising healthy children and in essence securing a brighter future for them.
The event resulted in the validation of the project’s logical framework and identification of target activities with respect to the project’s three focus areas as well as the sustainability plan. The activities were outlined through the concerted effort and sharing of ideas among the representatives of the different institutions. (Maria Katrina R. Punto)
