Planting the Seeds of Change: DepEd Cultivates Health and Hope with Gulayan sa Paaralan and Farm School Initiatives

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

PASIG CITY, July 3, 2025 — In a nation where malnutrition still shadows the future of millions of children, the Department of Education (DepEd) is digging deep—both literally and figuratively—to transform classrooms into gardens of growth and resilience. Under the determined leadership of newly appointed Education Secretary Sonny Angara, DepEd is breathing new life into the nation's education system through two powerhouse programs: the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) and the Farm School initiative.

With roots anchored in the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to weave nutrition into the fabric of education, the GPP has now expanded to 44,965 public schools across the country—a staggering 50.6% growth from the 2022–2023 school year. This surge is more than just a number; it represents a cultural shift where schools are no longer just centers for learning but sanctuaries of sustenance.

“Tuloy-tuloy ang aming pagsisikap para matulungan ang mga batang kulang o sobra sa timbang na maabot ang tamang nutrisyon,” shares Naomi Tito, School Head of Culandanum Elementary School in Palawan, where vegetables are grown not just from soil—but from solidarity.

A Garden with a Purpose

In every raised bed and vegetable row lies a purpose far beyond the harvest. The Gulayan sa Paaralan Program serves as the backbone of the Department’s School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), supplying fresh, organic produce that fortifies the meals of children in critical nutritional need.

But beyond nutrition, GPP cultivates something even more enduring—character and consciousness. Gardens have become living classrooms, teaching students lessons in environmental stewardship, teamwork, and sustainability.

“Kapag natuto ang mga bata kung saan nanggagaling ang pagkain nila at paano ito pinapalaki, mas naeengganyo silang kumain nang masustansya,” Secretary Angara emphasized. “Hindi lang ito tungkol sa gulay. Disiplina, pagtutulungan, at malasakit sa kalikasan at kapwa ang tinuturo natin dito.”

By empowering children to take part in nurturing life from seed to plate, the program addresses more than just hunger—it cultivates a generation that values health, responsibility, and the Earth.

A National Commitment Takes Root

The commitment is more than symbolic. In concrete terms, 94% of public schools now actively implement gardening interventions. From a ₱10 million budget in 2021, the GPP funding has doubled to ₱20 million in 2024, with projections reaching ₱21.8 million in 2025. These investments reflect a growing recognition that food security begins with food literacy, and that education cannot thrive without nourishment.

Enter the Farm Schools: Where Agriculture Meets Ambition

Running parallel to this green revolution is the Farm School program, born from the vision of the late Senator Ed Angara and enshrined into law through Republic Act No. 10618. Under Sec. Angara’s current stewardship, 152 farm schools have sprouted across four key regions, each one a beacon for rural revitalization.

These institutions offer hands-on agricultural training, technical skills development, and entrepreneurship education—a triple threat against poverty and food insecurity. They are not just schools; they are incubators of innovation for the next generation of farmers, agri-preneurs, and sustainability champions.

“We need to stop treating agriculture as a fallback,” said Sec. Angara. “With the right tools and training, it becomes a future-forward career—one that drives food security and national prosperity.”

More Than an Education—A Movement

What we’re witnessing is a holistic and transformative vision of education—one that does not stop at academics, but boldly addresses health, hunger, sustainability, and community resilience.

In the countryside, students are growing crops and confidence. In urban centers, teachers, parents, and local governments are rallying behind a shared vision. From north to south, classrooms echo with more than recitations—they hum with the rhythm of hope.

This is not just about planting gardens. This is about planting futures.

And with every child nourished, every community engaged, and every schoolyard blossoming with life, DepEd’s mission comes into sharper focus: to raise not just educated minds—but healthy, empowered, and self-reliant citizens.

In the Philippines today, education is no longer just about books and blackboards. Thanks to Gulayan sa Paaralan and Farm Schools, it’s about the soil, the sun, the seeds—and the unstoppable will to grow.

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