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2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 1
INTRODUCTION
The Philippines has remained one of the lowest vegetable consumers in Asia,
with an annual per capita vegetable consumption of about 40 kilograms (2003). This
amount is below the recommendation of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute
(FNRI) of an annual consumption of 69 kg per capita. While this scenario can be
greatly attributed to decrease in production, some studies tell us the problem is not
just production.
One of the reasons why many Filipino adults have low consumption of
vegetables is preference for meat. Citing FNRI report (2003), since 1978, Filipinos
have become meat-eaters with an increasing trend of food from farm animal sources
from 20.3% in 1978 to 28% in 2003. In relation to this, the decline in vegetable
consumption has been found to be among the major factors in the rising incidence of
illnesses in the country. In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) said low
vegetable intake is estimated to cause some 2.7 million deaths each year, and was
among the top 10 risk factors contributing to mortality.
Looking at this picture, the Oh My Gulay! (OMG!) – Tanim sa Kinabukasan
(TSK) Program is a response to this pressing health issue. There is a big clamor to
educate children who will one day become adults and carry over the eating habits
developed from a young age. Schools and families should seize the opportunity to
educate children of healthy eating habits and the nutritive value of vegetables.
Schools are an excellent venue to inculcate in their young minds the benefit of eating
vegetables, and in the long run, embracing a healthy lifestyle in general. With this
step, we are paving the way not only to increase in vegetable consumption but to
build a healthier and brighter generation of Filipino children.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 2
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Oh My Gulay! (OMG!) – Tanim sa Kinabukasan (TSK) is a nationwide school
gardening program that advocates the promotion of the nutritional value and
consumption of common vegetables to address nutritional deficiencies among
underprivileged families, particularly kindergarten and public elementary schools.
This campaign was made possible through the collaborative efforts between
and among the office of Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Department of Education
(DepEd), East-West Seed Company and donor companies such as BDO
Foundation, Sunwest Care Foundation, Asian Terminals Incorporated, Infant and
Pediatric nutrition Association of the Philippines (IPNAP) and Aboitiz Foundation.
Through the partnership, a total of forty schools nationwide have been adopted to
get assistance for the establishment of vegetable gardens which will serve as food
basket for the school.
At the end of school year 2011-2012, the OMG-TSK project hopes to achieve
improved nutrition of the pupils that have been engaged, to draw deeper interest
within communities where adopted schools are situated, and to create awareness on
the importance of vegetables in everyday diet.
Project Objectives:
Teach modern vegetable cultivation through experiential or hands-on learning
Promote healthy eating among school children and the integration of
vegetables in their regular diet, in order to combat malnutrition and/or nutrient
deficiencies
Impart the values of hard work, patience, enthusiasm and sense of
responsibility
Improve school performance through better nutrition
Project Cost:
The cost of project per school is about Php 65,000.00. The amount covers the
following:
Garden tools, sacks, P.E. bags
Training materials i.e., flip charts & manuals
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 3
Vegetable garden inputs i.e., seeds/seedlings, plastic mulch, fertilizers,
trellising materials and necessary pesticide
(Please refer to Appendix 1 for the Memorandum of Agreement with budget
breakdown)
Project Coverage:
Figure 1. OMG-TSK Nationwide School Distribution
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 4
Project Parties’ Responsibilities:
The Department of Education through the DepEd Health & Nutrition Center shall:
Provide policy guidelines & directions to ensure the proper implementation of
the vegetable school garden program
Recommend school beneficiaries based on specific criteria including low
academic performance and incidence of malnutrition
Provide baseline statistics on malnutrition incidence in the adopted schools &
submit periodic measurements of the nutrition status of said schools
Coordinate closely with the OMG secretariat on program implementation
Monitor the program and recommend solutions on any deviations from the
planned activities
The Department of Education through Adopt-A-School Program shall:
Assist in the coordination of the program
Assist in the implementation and monitoring of the program
Provide proper management, maintenance and care for the improvement
received by the beneficiary schools through the School Head/s or Principals in
close coordination with the Donor.
OMG! shall:
Act as the lead convenor of the core committee on planning and
implementation of the program
Coordinate with the adopting private entity in the implementation of the
vegetable school gardening program and accept the package of assistance
from the Donor.
Transfer payment to East West Seed for farm inputs, seeds and technical
assistance supplied by the company for the implementation of the program
Assist in the implementation and monitoring of the program
Provide publicity and media support to its partners
Render periodic report/assessment of the project being implemented.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 5
East West Seed shall:
Supply farm inputs such as seeds, seedlings, farming implements and others
to school-beneficiaries and receive payment for the above from OMG!
Implement the program and provide technical assistance and technology
transfer on modern vegetable farming to the recipient schools and receive
payment for the above from OMG!
Provide coordinators to conduct lectures for school children and supervise
hands-on activities in coordination with teachers and parents
Assist in monitoring the program
The Donor shall:
Select from the list of priority schools as provided by DepED which shall be
the recipient of donation;
o The donor may also select a school recipient which is not found on the
DepED list, subject to the approval of OMG! & DepED
Provide funding for the implementation of the vegetable school gardening
program including the purchase of farm inputs.
Implement the project in coordination with OMG! and East West Seed. OMG
& East West Seed shall be fully acknowledged as partners.
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Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 6
PROJECT FRAMEWORK AND IMPLEMENTATION
Relevance of Project Framework
The OMG-TSK project operates on the framework of ‘partnership building’.
Collaboration is of utmost importance if desired objectives are to be achieved. Each
stakeholder may vary on its mission but everyone agreed on the project’s vision:
improved nutrition for better future by influencing pupils, teachers, other school
officials and other individuals within the community to develop a habit of eating
vegetables.
Having this common goal, the partnership intends to create and atmosphere
where healthy lifestyle prevails. A once far-fetched dream now comes into reality.
Indeed, the project summons each one of us to take a significant change that would
have lasting effect and can even be transferred from one generation to the next.
The framework below tells us the interplay that transpired in the
implementation of OMG-TSK project. The institutions play a great part from
conceptualization to realization of the OMG-TSK; East West Seed being the
implementing agency had played its role very well in training the pupils, teachers and
other advocates and in showcasing the feasibility of establishing vegetable garden in
a limited area with quite limited resources; lastly the community (PTA & Barangay
Council) for their cooperation & active participation, this immensely help in achieving
the success of OMG-TSK.
Figure 2. Oh My Gulay-Tanim sa Kinabukasan Framework: “Partnership Building”
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Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 7
The project plainly demonstrated that synergy works and can achieve bigger things;
this is however crucial when genuine development is to be achieved.
Creation of OMG-TSK Implementing Team
One important aspect of project management is finding the right people to do
the job. The OMG-TSK program believes that school beneficiaries deserve nothing
but of quality service, thus creation of the implementing team is of primordial concern
for the project steering committee.
It was June, when the implementing office – East West Seed Philippines –
started the search for the right person to fill in the post of OMG-TSK Field
Coordinator. Later part of July when newly-hired coordinators undergo the training
and field visit to school beneficiaries at Aurora province. At that time, it was cleared
to them what area of assignment they’re going to concentrate on.
Initially, there were five (5) OMG-TSK Field Coordinators namely: Michelle
Jeanne Calica assigned at Aurora Province, Ma. Shiela Santos whose OMG-TSK
point person in NCR, Jan Adriel Daliglig assigned at NCR and South Luzon, Gler
Moral which was assigned to overlook school-beneficiaries within Metro Cebu and
Donald Kim Enot assigned at Cagayan De Oro City and Davao City.
It was September when the implementation team welcomes the presence of
another field Coordinator in the name of Ryan Maribojoc which was tasked to assist
the school beneficiaries at Negros Occidental.
On top of these six (6) Field Coordinators are two experienced technical
specialist of the implementing agency in the name of Ivy Joy Ativo, supervising the
NCR and South Luzon area while Mary Joyce Villacorte-Gaviola was assigned to
oversee the project development in Aurora Province, Visayas and Mindanao Region
(Please refer to Appendix 2 for the background of the implementing team).
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 8
Project Activities and Accomplishments
School Orientation
The project began with the implementing team conducting a School
Orientation for the thirty nine (39) school-beneficiaries adopted by five (5) donor-
companies/foundations. Prior to school orientation was coordination with school
officials. This is to ensure that the concerned individuals are present during
orientation cum ocular visit. The implementing team seeks to assess the condition of
the area where vegetable gardening is being proposed. This will aid them in planning
and preparation what actions/ measures to be taken to realize the establishment of a
vegetable garden. For the Luzon area, orientation was held in the month of August
2011 as well as in Mindanao area, while for Visayas school-beneficiaries orientation
was held in the month of September 2011.
In the orientation, a short video of TSK program was presented, followed by
the introduction of those present in the meeting and discussion of roles and
responsibilities. A question and answer portion was also part of the orientation to
clarify issues and raise some significant concerns.
At the end of school orientation, it is expected that each party/stakeholder
already had a clearer understanding of the project – from conception to
implementation, the objective it wants to achieve, the order of activity that has to be
done and the commitment to commence the project.
Training: Series of Lecture Discussions
Influencing children to adopt healthy eating habits begins with demonstrating
how vegetables are grown, not only in theory but also allowing them to appreciate
and experience the hard work of tending a plot planted with vegetables.
Training starts with a background/theory/framework of what, how and why a
particular process is conducted, and practiced. We know of course that providing
theory is not an absolute act of sharing information. The children benefit from
experiencing what it’s like to sow seeds, transplant the seedlings and do the actual
pest control. As such, the training provides room for actual demonstration or hands-
on work. Below is the lesson plan followed in the thirty nine (39) school-beneficiaries.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 9
Table 1. Topic Outline for Tanim sa Kinabukasan Modules
TOPIC/ACTIVITY SESSION OBJECTIVE
A. Introduction
Ano ang Agriculture?
Overview ng paghahalaman
Mga Pakinabang at Oportunidad sa
paghahalaman
At the end of the session, the trainees will be able to:
Define agriculture
Identify the benefits and opportunities in
growing crops
B. Paghahalaman
Pangunahing pangangailangan ng halaman
Mga Bahagi ng halaman
Mga uri ng binhing buto
Mga katangian ng binhing buto
At the end of the session, the trainees will be able to:
Enumerate the factors that affect the growth of a plant
Enumerate the different parts of a plant and describe its functions
Explain the difference between hybrid and
open pollinated seeds
C. Pagpapakilala ng mga gulay
Mga leafy vegetables
Mga gulay kabilang sa solanaceous family
Mga gulay kabilang sa cucurbits family
At the end of the session, the trainees will be able to:
Identify vegetables according to family Determine nutritional value of each vegetable
D. Mga Uri ng Pagtatanim
Pagtatanim sa kamang-taniman
Container gardening
Greenhouse planting
At the end of the session, the trainees will be able to:
Describe the different techniques of growing crops
E. Wastong Pangangalaga sa Gulayan
Paghahanda ng lupang punlaan
Pagpupunla
Paghahanda ng taniman
Paglilipat tanim
Pag-aabono
Pangangalaga ng halaman laban sa peste
Wastong pag-aani
At the end of the session, the trainees will be able to:
Describe the different methods of crop management
Identify solutions to minimize the infestation of pests
Explain the proper handling of crops before and after harvest
F. Other Topics
Mga kagamitan sa paghahalaman
Mga salik pangkaligtasan
Pagkokompost
Pagtatala ng record
Pagsasapamilihan ng inaning gulay
At the end of the session, the trainees will be able to:
List the tools used in crop management
Explain the safety guides in growing crops
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 10
The OMG-TSK implementing team gave the discretion to school officials in
terms of selecting pupil-participants who will undergo the series of lecture-
discussion. The selected pupils will then become representatives of their class. For
most of the schools, pupils belonging to Grade V and VI were given priority since the
training involves hands-on activities; although there are some schools where
combination of Grade IV and V pupils participated in the said training.
It was between September and October when lectures plus hands-on
activities took place for the thirty nine school-beneficiaries. Between December and
January, when the lecture sessions were completed, the vegetable gardens had
begun showing an abundant harvest of vegetables for majority of the schools.
Turn-over of Inputs
Fundamental in the establishment of vegetable garden is the availability of
inputs and tools. The project provides inputs for the school-beneficiaries through the
donor companies/foundations. Through the funding they donated, they provide all
necessary materials for vegetable production like tools: sprinkler, shovels, hand
sprayers among others; inputs like: seeds/seedlings, seedling tray, fertilizer,
pesticides & others; teaching aid like flip charts & manuals.
Upon completion of project, the above-mentioned inputs are put under the
school’s custody/property. This is part of the project’s sustainability mechanism;
schools are expected to continue utilizing the area prepared for vegetable cultivation
even after the intervention has come to an end.
Below is the list of inputs that were funded by Donor and turned-over to
school beneficiaries.
Table 2. List of tools & inputs provided to school beneficiary
Item Quantity
Shovels 2 pcs
Sprinklers 6 pcs.
Hand Sprayers 3 pcs.
Trowels 15 pcs.
Pruning scissors 1 pc
Sacks 300 pcs.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 11
PE bags (9) 100 pcs.
PE bags (2.5)) 500 pcs.
Plastic mulch 1 roll
Fertilizer 10 kgs
Peat moss 1 bag
Trellising materials 10 pcs. net
Seeds 10 pouches
Flip chart 1 set
TSK manual 50 pcs.
Establishment of Vegetable Garden / Crop Management
The allocated area for vegetable garden varies from school to school.
Approximately 1000 sq.m. is an ideal area to start a garden so that plenty of
vegetables can be grown and observed by the pupils. In the long run, produce from
the area can be a good source of income and a vital source of materials for feeding
activity.
However, the OMG-TSK implementing team faced the limitation in terms of
area and unavailability of space for vegetable gardening. In schools located in NCR,
the team resorted to container gardening and successfully showcased the feasibility
of growing vegetables even if planted in containers such as used tin cans and old
plastic jugs. There’s a particular case in Baseco Elementary School wherein they
place their vegetable garden in the rooftop of the five floor school building, reason for
the implementing team to call it ‘roofdeck garden’.
Similarly, the school-beneficiaries in Cagayan De Oro City (Tablon ES) and
Aurora Province (Diteki ES) opted to grow vegetables outside the premise of school
due to unavailability of area within campus.
With some exceptions mentioned above, the establishment of vegetable
gardens generally went well. Cases like disease infestations and insect pest
damaged were addressed promptly and appropriately. Schools were able to utilize
the produce for their feeding program; some even use it as meal for faculty and
some sold fresh produce within the community.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 12
Shown below are data gathered from schools that were able to record the
production and its corresponding value (income).
Table 3. Production & income @ Tablon ES, Cagayan De Oro City
Crop No. of Kilos Price/Kilo Total Amount
Eggplant (Morena)
Tomato (DMAX)
Ampalaya (Galactica)
Pakchoy (Choy)
Upo (Magnifica)
36
32
28
36
59
20
15
20
8
15
720
480
560
208
885
TOTAL 2,853.00
Table 4. Production & income @ A. Bonifacio ES, Davao City
Crop No. of Kilos Price/Kilo Total Amount
Sweet pepper (Emperor)
Upo (Mayumi)
Eggplant (Morena)
Pakchoy (Choy)
Tomato (DMAX)
Kangkong (Tsina LP)
Okra (Smooth Green)
2
250
30
20
10
10
40
50
10
30
25
40
50
25
100
2500
900
500
400
500
1000
TOTAL 5,000.00
Indeed, the old adage is true ‘to see is to believe’; people will believe once
they are able to see positive results. With the exceptional results of the established
gardens pupil, school officials, PTA and other interested individuals in the
community, the implementing team can proudly say that it achieved its goal of
teaching the right way of growing vegetables whether in container or open
fields/spaces. Pupils acquired the skill of installing plastic mulches, sowing in trays,
and others. Likewise, EPP teachers were able to utilize teaching aids that can be
used for at least 5 years or more.
With the OMG-TSK intervention, gardening has become an enjoyable and
meaningful experience not only for the pupils, but the teachers and the whole
community. Cultivation of vegetables, whether in a big or small area, provides
opportunity for collective efforts, cooperation and active participation of each & every
member of the family and/or community.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 13
Harvesting / Community Day
The OMG-TSK project steering committee believed that success has to be
shared so that others may benefit from it, as such ‘Community Day’ was held. This
is to recognize the efforts of those whose involvement made this project a reality, i.e.
school officials, PTA, Barangay officials, LGUs and pupil-participants.
In the said event, project stakeholders gathered to celebrate the fruitful
harvest of the limited vegetable garden as well as learned from the experience of
those who implemented the project at school level. Different awards were given as
well as way of appreciating the hard work of those who contributed in one way or the
other to make school gardening a fun and learning activity for pupils. The said
activity is combined with cooking fest featuring vegetables as main ingredients. As
OMG-TSK strives to promote healthy eating habits by consuming more vegetables, a
cook fest was an aid to promote nutritious meals that a parent can offer to their
children. Mostly mothers were the main participants of the activity. The cook fest
inspires the moms’ creativity in preparing unique vegetable dishes, ones that are
appetizing even for children.
Shown in the table below were the community day celebrations conducted in
various OMG-TSK school beneficiaries in Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao.
Table 5. List of schoos l that conducted Community Day
School Beneficiary Donor-Company Date of Community Day
1. San Isidro ES, Pontevedra,
Negros Occidental
2. Murcia ES, Murcia, Negros
Occidental
3. Jose Rizal ES, Tondo, Manila
4. T. Paez ES, Tondo, Manila
5. Padre Burgos ES, Tondo,
Manila
6. H. Atienza ES, Tondo, Manila
7. A. V. Hernandez ES, Tondo ,
Manila
8. Magat Salamat ES, Tondo,
Manila
9. Almario ES, Tondo, Manila
IPNAP
BDO Foundation
Asian Terminals Inc.
Asian Terminals Inc.
Asian Terminals Inc.
Asian Terminals Inc.
Asian Terminals Inc.
Asian Terminals Inc.
Asian Terminals Inc.
March 27, 2012
March 28, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 14
10. Lakan Dula ES, Tondo,
Manila
11. City Central School,
Cagayan De Oro City
12. Bayanan ES, Muntinlupa
City
13. A. Bonifacio ES, Davao City
BDO Foundation
BDO Foundation
BDO Foundation
BDO Foundation
April 11, 2012
April 12, 2012
April 12, 2012
April 13, 2012
It will be observed that not all thirty nine (39) participating schools were able
to conduct the community day. This was primarily because of the conflict in
schedule. Some schools were not willing to accommodate this activity while others
had already completed the crop cycle they chose to plant, thus there’s no available
crops to showcase. But this doesn’t mean that school wasn’t able to harvest, only
harvesting period wasn’t able to highlight thru this significant activity.
True to its promise, the OMG program achieved its goal in introducing and
adding common vegetables to the children’s diet. It was observed that students,
teachers, families and the community rapidly grew their interest and support to OMG.
Along the way, students became more enthusiastic in gardening and showed
discipline and responsibility in caring for their own crops. Teachers also monitored
the work of the children in their garden regularly and buy a large portion of the
harvest. Moreover, families and community showed their support in one way or
another like buying vegetables from the garden and setting up their own backyard
gardening. What is more significant is that OMG created a spark of awareness to the
community on how to improve nutrition in a cheaper way with the involvement of
different sectors in the community.
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 15
FINANCIAL REPORT
As stipulated in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the estimated cost
per school is sixty five thousand pesos (Php 65,000.00). The cost is intended to
provide the following: seeds, farm equipment, organic fertilizers,
supervision/technical assistance and teaching aids (flipcharts & manuals).
Below is the report of funds granted by Donor and spent for the mentioned
purposes:
Table 6. Fund donated and spending
DONOR NO. OF ADOPTED SCHOOL FUND DONATED FUND SPENT
1. Asian Terminals Inc. 10 school in NCR & So. Luzon 650,000.00 585,000.00*
2. Sunwest Care
Foundation
5 schools in Aurora Province 325,000.00 325,000.00
3. BDO Foundation 15 schools in parts of Luzon,
Visayas & Mindanao
975,000.00 975,000.00
4. IPNAP 4 schools: 2 in Ilocos Norte &
2 in Negros Occidental
260,000.00 260,000.00
5. Aboitiz Foundation 6 schools in Metro Cebu 201,000.00 201,000.00
*In the preceding table, it should be noted that fund donated by Asian
Terminals Inc. was not completely spent. This is because, one (1) of the ten (10)
adopted schools declined to be one of the project beneficiary and no replacement
school was identified by the donor.
On the other hand the implementing office – East West Seed Philippines
(EWSP) apart from being the implementer took the initiative of shouldering other
operational expenses that were not covered in the project cost but needed to be
provided for the implementation of the OMG-TSK project.
Below is the report of items and the corresponding amount that EWSP
shelled-out for the operation of thirty nine (39) adopted schools to enable to achieve
the set objectives by the project.
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Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 16
Table 7. Expenses shouldered by East West Seed Philippines
PARTICULAR AMOUNT
1. Communications 24,770.87
2. Travel: Fares 76364.43
3. Travel: Food 30, 708.46
4. Travel: Gas 4,614.55
5. Travel: Lodging 74,347.96
6. Office supplies 9,304.27
7. Promotional Activity (snack & prizes) 80,897.32
8. Repairs: transportation equipment 1,889.00
TOTAL 302,896.86
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Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 17
IMPACT AND OBSERVATIONS
Majority of our OMG-TSK partner-schools wholeheartedly welcomed the
project. They gave their strong commitment to implement the project despite their
numerous DepEd/ academic responsibilities. They willingly accommodated the
OMG-TSK field coordinators whose constant presence assured them of the
commitment of the OMG-TSK Proponents.
Likewise, most of our partner-teachers readily adjusted their schedule to allot
time for the OMG sessions which were conducted once a week. The series of
lecture- discussions successfully educated the participating students in terms of
exposing them to the modern way of cultivating vegetables. Proof of this was the
strong student participation in doing the actual demonstration or “hands-on” during
the different stages of the project such as soil preparation, actual planting, crop
maintenance and harvest /community day. It was also observed that there was a
lively exchange of ideas among the teachers and pupils on how to further improve
the actual operation of their respective vegetable gardens and not just be limited to
what is written in the OMG-TSK project manual.
For pupils residing in the rural areas, teaching them gardening was easier
since they are already quite knowledgeable in basic farming, having been exposed
by their farmer-parents to basic agricultural practices. However, those pupils residing
in the urban areas have a bit more of difficulty understanding the vegetable farming
theories &concepts and putting them into practice. This posed a challenge to the
assigned OMG-TSK Coordinator who must exert greater effort to encourage the
student s to learn farming concepts and techniques.
Like any project, OMG-TSK had its own share of shortcomings. For one, the
project team did not anticipate the need for garden soil in some participating schools.
In particular, this was a major challenge for school beneficiaries in the NCR area,
who apart from having limited space for a vegetable garden, have poor soil quality.
The Office of Senator Angara – the proponent of Oh! My Gulay (OMG) advocacy -
provided assistance that enabled the implementing team to facilitate request,
purchase and finally delivered the much-needed garden soil to the concerned NCR-
based schools .
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Moreover, typhoons and other natural disturbances adversely affected project
implementation and results. For one, Aurora Province had abundant rainfall last
year. This hampered the growth and development of crops planted in the area.
When Typhoon Sendong hit Cagayan De Oro City and nearby towns, our OMG-TSK
school gardens were devastated along with entire communities in the affected area.
Negros Occidental also experienced drought last year which adversely affected the
quality of the crops grown in our school gardens in the Province.
And so is the human factor which pertains to how the teacher-coordinators
and pupils looked after their respective gardens (i.e. crop maintenance) and followed
the instructions prescribed by OMG-TSK project coordinators. It can be said that the
overall successful implementation of the OMG-TSK vegetable gardening projects
were due to the positive reception, support and commitment extended to the project
by majority of the OMG-TSK partner- schools. In particular, we acknowledge the
contributions made by the school principals, assigned teachers, barangay officials
and PTS/ parents who made the OMG-TSK project, by and large, a success in its
first year of operation.
It is also worth mentioning here that the project’s highlight was the
“Community Day”. It proved to be an excellent opportunity to acknowledge those
who labored for the OMG-TSK Project and showcase the fresh produce from their
respective school gardens. Aside from project partners, the local officials and other
important sectors of the community were invited and came over to witness and
participate in this milestone event. The Community Day consisted of various
activities - from school garden tours, awarding of certificates, cooking contests
featuring unique vegetables recipes, to photo opportunities as part of project
documentation. While all these activities were greatly appreciated by our school-
based partners and other project partners, one observation though was that there
was no “feeding” component during the Community Day. It would have been more
fun and memorable had there been a “feeding” component so that everybody who
attended, especially those who labored for months to make the vegetable harvest
possible such as the students, would have enjoyed the different dishes prepared
featuring the variety of vegetables comprising the OMG-TSK school gardens.
Moreover, it has been observed that the EPP teachers (who are critical
project implementers) still lacked adequate knowledge and practical skills to
effectively impart to their respective students the OMG-TSK project concepts and
2012 April OMG-TSK YEAR 1 EVALUATION REPORT
Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 19
implementation techniques. Thus, there is a need for a more thorough and
specialized OMG-TSK training module specifically designed and implemented for the
EPP teachers. Focus must also be given on how the OMG-TSK modules can be
properly interfaced with the other components of the DepEd curriculum. This project
concern is especially true in urban-based public schools which are understandable,
as most of the EPP teachers did not have prior exposure to agricultural concepts and
practice, unlike their counterparts in the rural areas.
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Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 20
PROJECT CHALLENGES
Location of Partner-Schools. The geographic location of the thirty nine (39) OMG-
TSK partner- schools was dispersed in various parts of Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. Thus, from the point of view of those assigned to implement and monitor
the project, it was difficult to physically move around given the dispersed location/
geographic distance among participating schools, even within the same province.
This problem adversely affected the quality of project supervision and monitoring,
thereby affecting project results and impact. In addition, cost-efficiency wise, this set-
up also resulted in higher project costs (travel and communication expenses, for
example) which were not all anticipated during the project planning/
conceptualization phase.
Project Ownership at the Local School Level. Since the OMG-TSK project
implementation was done at the local school level, it was inevitable that local school
officials must be consulted in every step of the implementation phase. Decisions on
pupil selection, allocation of area for vegetable garden, schedules for lecture-
discussion and other project-related concerns – all of these decision points had to be
consulted with local school officials for their concurrence (i.e. principals, PTS
officials, EPP teachers). Unfortunately, some of these officials were uncooperative
and in fact, there were school officials who demanded that a localized MOA be
signed by their Division Office – on top of the DepEd Central Office – who signed the
MOA on behalf of DepEd. Thus, the lack of a “localized MOA” on a per school basis
sort of weakened the sense of project “ownership” among local school officials which
affected their reception of and involvement in project implementation.
School Selection Process. The OMG-TSK partner-schools were pre-selected by
the donor-companies. Selection was based on the list provided by the DOST- FNRI
of the most nutritionally- challenged schools in the country. While the intention was
good, i.e. to improve the nutritional status of the pupils of selected schools, other
success factors should have been considered during the selection process. Other
criteria like the suitability of soil, availability of space, distance from farm input-
suppliers -among other factors- should have been considered in the selection
process.
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CONCLUSION
What we have just documented in this Report are the experiences and results
of the first year implementation of the OMG-TSK Program in thirty nine (39) DepEd
schools nationwide. This is not intended to provide the reader with a thorough
evaluation of the undertaking, but rather an initial account of what transpired - with
focus on the learning and insights derived from the implementation process.
Likewise, we have included here a few recommendations to guide project
implementers in the succeeding batch of partner-schools in the future.
Like any collaborative endeavor, it is important that the terms and conditions
of the partnership are made clear at the onset. Thus, responsibilities and
expectations should be clearly spelled out during the negotiation stage. Likewise, a
well-defined monitoring and evaluation scheme should be agreed upon as part of
project design. This will help in formulating strategies and approaches that will
address the project’s areas for further improvement, thus, re-inventing the project
after each cycle until the most effective and cost-efficient mode of implementation is
finally arrived at. It is important to bear in mind that the OMG-TSK Project is merely
on its maiden year of implementation. Thus, the Project still has a long way to go
before it is scaled up for a macro application.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
School Selection Criteria. At the onset of the project, it would be good if all OMG-
TSK partner-organizations can agree on a common set of selection criteria that will
guide them in screening the OMG-TSK partner schools nationwide. This step is
envisioned to increase the rate of project success and anticipate whatever strong
and weak points each school might be faced with vis-a-vis prescribed set of criteria.
Below is the set of criteria being utilized by East West Seed Philippines in selecting
partner- schools for its “Tanim sa Kinabukasan” or TSK Program. The same may be
used for the OMG-TSK program. All parties/stakeholders are encouraged to have
their say in the selection process: following agreed upon criteria.
Criteria in selecting partner schools were:
1. Preferably clustered schools (for easier management and monitoring)
2. Good water source
3. Available area for planting (at least 500 sq. m.)
4. School location is preferably along the road
5. Strong commitment from school administrators
6. Visible support from LGUs (e.g. construction of fence within the premise of the
vegetable garden
7. There’s an identified person who will manage the vegetable garden
School Clustering. We recommend that we adopt a “school clustering” approach.
This means that the OMG-TSK Project shall be implemented in DepEd schools that
are geographically contiguous to each other to form a “cluster”. One, it will be easier
and cost-efficient to implement and monitor the project on the part of the
implementing organization (i.e. East-West Seed). Two, there will be greater project
impact if the schools are clustered - that is, a bandwagon effect can be created by a
cluster of schools who may be engaged in a “friendly competition” with each other,
thereby, enjoining them to exert best effort to excel in the OMG-TSK project.
Moreover, from a promotional point of view, a cluster of schools implementing a
common program is easier to attract attention, even from mass media.
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Adopt a Localized MOA per Partner-School. As expounded in the foregoing, the
lack of a localized MOA was raised as an issue by some school principals who felt
that a mother MOA signed by the DepEd Central Office was not enough as a basis
for a solid project partnership at the local school level. Thus, to foster a stronger
sense of “project ownership” , it was recommended that in addition to the mother
MOA, a localized MOA per school - that is more specific and grounded, so to speak
– must be adopted in the coming years.
Incorporation of OMG-TSK Learning Modules in the DepEd Curriculum. Another
recommendation is for the DepED to incorporate the OMG-TSK vegetable-gardening
modules in the academic program/ curriculum for elementary students. This would
mean more students benefitting from the lessons on concepts/technology of
vegetable production and the importance of vegetable consumption for improved
nutrition especially among Filipino youth.
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX 1
OMG!-TSK MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT
Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
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Asian Terminals Inc.
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Oh My Gulay – Tanim Sa Kinabukasan Project 38
BDO Foundation
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Infant and Pediatric Nutrition Association of the Philippines (IPNAP)
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Sunwest Care Foundation
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APPENDIX 2
OMG-TSK IMPLEMENTING TEAM
MARY JOYCE VILLACORTE-GAVIOLA
Mary Joyce Villacorte-Gaviola is a Senior Technology
Transfer Specialist (STTS) of East-West Seed Co.,
Inc., Philippines. She has a Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture (Extension) degree from Bulacan
Agriculture State College and Masters Degree in
Community Development at UP Diliman (Community
Planning and Administration). She is indeed an expert
on her course of discipline with a solid twelve (12)
years of training and extension work in Ilocos Sur,
Southern Leyte and Quezon Province which paved to
the improvement on the lives of small farmers in the areas. Her interest in
development planning and administration landed her also as the Project
Development Assistant in the Technology Transfer Department of the company.
In year 2005-2008, she led the project management team in Bondoc
Peninsula, Quezon Province during the Quezon Province Project on Public-Private
Partnership (PPP); a DAR-ARCDP2/WorldBank & East-West Seed
Company/German Development Bank (DEG) project. She was responsible for the
horticultural skills development of 500 small farmers in Quezon Province which
culminated to the successful linkage of these farmers to microfinance institutions and
marketing organizations. During the PPP Project, she initiated the
PARATECHNICIAN Training for farmers and extension workers geared towards the
sustainability of the program on Off-Season Vegetable Production at the area.
Ms. Gaviola was part of the group who conceptualized and developed
Farmer’s Field School (FFS) in vegetable production, which was first implemented
during the PPP Program and yielded for more improved conduct of training. She
developed other training modalities like Farmer’s Field Training (FFT), Subject
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Specific Training (SST) and Crop Specific Training (CST) for significant transfer of
technology
The company, having known her capabilities, sent her to participate for a month-long
training on Good Agricultural Practices to the 26th Regional Training Course at
Regional Training Center of Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center
(AVRDC), Nakhon Pathom, Thailand in 2007. In October 2010, she represented the
company in a short-term course – ‘Management Course for Development
Practitioner’ – at MDF Training and Consultancy under Netherland Fellowship
Program (NUFFIC).
IVY JOY ATIVO
Ivy Joy Ativo is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture major in Horticulture at the University of
the Philippines Los Baños. Right after graduation and
passing the agriculturist licensure examination, she
explored the agriculture industry and joined East West
Seed Company (EWSC) in 2009 as a Technical
Service Coordinator. Being part of the technical
service team, she worked closely with farmers to
address technical problems in their farm as well as to
ensure that they will properly follow the packaged of technology developed by the
company.
In 2011, she served as a Project Coordinator of the advocacy program of EWSC, the
Tanim sa Kinabukasan (TSK). She has promoted EWSC not only as the leader in
vegetable seed industry in the country but also as another venue in improving the
lives of the Filipino community by teaching modern technologies of growing
vegetables and promoting healthy eating habits. In addition to school-based
trainings, she conducted free trainings on vegetable production for the other project
partners of TSK. In the same year, Oh My Gulay! (OMG!) Program of Senator
Edgardo Angara tapped EWSC to partner with its TSK Program. She served as a
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Project Coordinator for the implementing team of the OMG! Program and supervised
recipient schools in Metro Manila Area.
MA. SHIELA PAYOPAY SANTOS
Ma. Shiela Payopay Santos is a Project Coordinator of
Oh My Gulay - Tanim sa Kinabukasan (OMG-TSK) of
East-West Seed Philippines. She has a Bachelor of
Science in Agriculture (Horticulture: Crop Production and
Management) degree from University of the Philippines –
Los Baños, class of 2009. She is an alumni member of
UP Horticultural Society.
She was assigned in National Capital Region (NCR) from
2011 to 2012 as project coordinator to implement the
OMG program to seven recipient schools in the NCR Region specifically in Tondo,
Manila. This improved planting and eating vegetables habits of public school
children. A school vegetable garden was established on the seven schools for
demonstration of the new technology being used by the company and the proper
management of planting vegetables.
She was also engaged in UPLB Foundation Inc. under College of Public Affairs
(CPAf) from January 2010 to July 2011 as a university research associate for the
“Benefit and Impact Assessment of the Infrastructure for Rural Productivity and
Enhancement Sector (InfRES) Project”. She conducted nationwide survey evaluation
on the benefit and impact of the infrastructures developed by the InfRES-DA on the
livelihood of rural communities. The assessment conducted, led to the Phase II
program of InfRES-DA to lay concrete on Farm to Market Roads (FMR); and
maintenance of their Potable Water System (PWS) and Irrigation System (IS)
implemented.
In 2010, she served as an assistant agronomist/horticulturist for Sorosoro Ibaba
Development Cooperative (SIDC) in Batangas City where she developed and
improved ornamental nursery production of the company; supervised production,
management, and other field operations of commercial organic-vegetables and
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ornamental plants; and supervised production of organic fertilizer (chicken manure-
based).
MICHELLE JEANNE LAZONA CALICA
Michelle Jeanne Lazona Calica is a Project
Coordinator of Oh My Gulay - Tanim sa
Kinabukasan (OMG-TSK) of East-West Seed
Philippines. She has a Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture (Horticulture: Crop Production and
Management) degree from University of the
Philippines – Los Baños, class of 2011. She is also
an alumni member of UP Horticultural Society and
Gamma Sigma Delta – Honor Society of
Agriculture.
She was assigned in Aurora from 2011 to 2012 to implement the OMG program to
five recipient schools in four towns of the province namely Baler, Maria Aurora, San
Luis and Dipaculao. This led to the creation of vegetable gardens, thereby
encouraging more students to add vegetables to their diet. As part of her
accomplishment, she’s able to train more than 300 students, teachers and other
interested individuals in modern ways of growing vegetables.
Within the project, she got the chance to work with an American volunteer - Emma
James (an intern from the Office of Sen. Edgardo Angara) - for three months towards
the end of project term. Result of collaboration in the province was featured in Manila
Bulletin on February 2012 by Mr. Zac Sarian, a well-known agriculture journalist.
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JAN ADRIEL M. DALIGDIG
Jan Adriel M. Daligdig is a Project Coordinator of East-West
Seed Co., Inc., Philippines for Oh My Gulay! (OMG!)-Tanim sa
Kinabukasan. He finished his Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture degree at the University of the Philippines Los
Baños. With his major in Horticulture specializing on
Vegetable Production, his undergraduate practicum focused
on organic farming and assessment of farmers’ adoption of
organic farming strategies.
Right after passing the agriculturist licensure exam, he joined
East-West Seed Co., Inc. late 2011. He was in-charge of 6 schools in the NCR
(Makati, Quezon City, Munitnlupa, and Tondo) and Southern Luzon Area (Batangas).
RYAN GUERRERO MARIBOJOC
Ryan Guerrero Maribojoc is a Project Coordinator –
OMG-TSK PROGRAM - of East-West Seed
Company Philippines. He comes from humble
beginning, a poor farmer’s son and a certified
working student for solid five years in college. By
God’s infinite love, he finished his Bachelor of
Science in Agriculture major in Crop Science from
Central Philippine Adventist College as a Cum
Laude and a passer of the Licensure Examination for
Agriculturist. He’s been in East West Seed for a year now.
In 2011, he was assigned as Project Coordinator to Negros Occidental for Oh My
Gulay! – Tanim sa Kinabukasan (OMG!-TSK) program; a collaboration between
Office of the Senator Angara, East West Seed Philippines, Department of Education,
BDO Foundation and Infant Pediatric and Nutrition Association of the Philippines
(IPNAP). He was responsible for the establishment of school vegetable garden in the
identified school beneficiaries in the region. Training of the pupils was also part of his
duty as a project coordinator.
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Prior to East West Seed engagement, he has a three-month intensive experience in
‘natural farming system’ in Sto. Domingo Natural Farm in Caridad, Bago City, Negros
Occidental; while in 2010, he spent his time at Naga View Adventist College where
he put up the college vegetable farm.
DONALD KIM BALINDRES ENOT
Donald Kim Balindres Enot is a Project Coordinator
– OMG-TSK PROGRAM - of East-West Seed
Company Philippines. He was assigned in
Mindanao particularly Cagayan de Oro City and
Davao City. He has a Bachelor of Science in
Agriculture (Horticulture) degree from Central
Mindanao University and 6 Units of Masters degree
in (Horticulture) in the same institution. He practiced
his course of discipline for one year as Production
Technician at ANGELEXA Farm in Bantuanon, Lantapan. As Technician, he was
tasked to oversee the incremental increase in production thru appropriate strategies
& approaches in banana plantation. Later, he moved to Haverson Enterprises
wherein he served as Sales Technician. He performed different tasks such as
promotion of highland vegetable crops, data gathering for seeds trial and collection
of payments from dealers. After a year, an opportunity to work at SUMIFRU
Philippines (pineapple division) came. There, he worked as technical surveyor
gathering necessary data from different pineapple fields needed to improve fresh
produce for export. He was also trained as internal auditor for the existing plantations
of the company then became a Plantation Operation Supervisor of Banana
Plantation (Cavendish Variety). His main function was to monitor the different
activities held in the field, from planting to delivery of the produced bananas to the
packing houses.
In 2011, thru the OMG! – TSK Program, he was able to train about 150 pupils in his
assigned area and successfully engaged school officials to make planting and eating
vegetables an advocacy. This was highlighted in the community day which he
effectively organized and coordinated.
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APPENDIX 3
DOCUMENTATION REPORT FROM AN AMERICAN STUDENT
OMG! FINAL REPORT
Emma James
March 2012
Introduction:
I first learned about Oh My Gulay (OMG!) while perusing the internet in
preparation for a future trip to Vietnam where I was studying abroad. I had been
contemplating the idea of prolonging my visit in Southeast Asia and volunteering for
a few months, which is why I was exploring online articles and looking for different
opportunities. I stumbled across a newspaper article regarding OMG! and after doing
a little more research about the program and the founders I decided to take a leap of
faith and make contact with the office of Senator Angara. When I received a
response I was beyond delighted, surprised, but also a little apprehensive– was this
really something I could do?The first few months of tentative planning seemed like a
pipedream, but as time progressed and the holidays rolled around everything
became very real. In mid-January my plane touched down in Manila, and since then I
have beenacting as an intern/volunteer for OMG!. I am stationed in Aurora Province
in Northern Luzon co-monitoring five different schools with Michelle Calica, an
employee of East West Seed.
It is now the end of March, 2012, and in two short weeks I will be leaving the
Philippines. I have been asked to write a report/study on the OMG! program, which I
am more than happy to do in return for all that it has given me. The following report
is broken down into six different sections: first, the methodology, emulated after a
scientific report to make it as clear and concise as possible what I am working with.
Second is the general description of the program with help from Francine Sayoc and
the OMG!Memorandum Agreement. The third section is titled“Inside OMG!”, a look
at what works with the program and how we accomplish what we set out to do. The
fourth section regards the impactOMG! has had on all participants, and the fifth and
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sixth sections are recommendations for future years and the conclusion,
respectively.
Methodology:
The following observations, (this can also be considered a study) is purely
qualitative as there was not the time or the tools needed to conduct quantitative
research. The data that I am analyzing isn’t physical or tangible;instead it is
mythoughts and reviewson the program after my participatory observation.
Therefore, it is important to note the following is purely my personal observations,
analyzed through the lens of a foreigner who entered the OMG! program a few
months after it started: I am no expert. I base much of my reasoning on the
appearance of the gardens, the enthusiasm from the children, conversations held
with teachers about the students and the work in the garden, and finally the general
attitude of all participants while visiting schools. Therefore, when I use the term
“data” I am referring to my observations and thoughts.
The data was collected from 26 January 2012 to the end of March. Some data
is based on informal interviews with teachers, students, and principals, as well as
conversations with my partner, Michelle Calica, an employee of East West Seed.
Data was collected from five different schools with a combined three hundred plus
student participants. One school was visited each weekday in the following order:
Diteki Elementary School, Reserva Elementary School, Maria Aurora Central School,
Baler Central School, and Diarabasin Elementary School. A majority of the students
were in fifth and sixth grade, although in Diarabasin fourth graders were also
participants.
A limitation to my OMG! study was that there simply wasn’t enough time. The
program was introduced to schools at the beginning of the academic year. The
OMG! schools in Aurora Province began the first planting in September and
completed their first harvest in December. My arrival in Aurora was in late January,
meaning that I completely missed observingthe program grow from the grassroots
up.Another limitation of the study is the number of students and the inability to speak
with all of them, once again attributed to lack of time. The following observations and
conclusions have been drawn from my experience with the students that I came to
know and talk with on a regular basis. It is necessary to state that I didn’t have the
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chance to interact one on one with half the ofthe total student population, therefore I
need to make clear that these conclusions cannot be representative for each
student, although I do think they represent all five schools.
A final note on limitations: there was a language barrier. Although all teachers
and principals are competent in English that doesn’t necessarily mean they always
speak in English. There were many times when discussions were held in Tagalog
and therefore I wasn’t able to understand a majority of what was being said. Luckily,
Michelle always translated and summarized the conversations later when we were
alone, but translations are never as accurate as the actual conversation.
General Description:
The objective of Oh My Gulay is simple: to improve the health of Filipino
children by adding more vegetables into their diet while concurrently making them
enthusiastic about the idea of replacing carbohydrates with vegetables. One of four
preschool aged Filipino children is malnourished not because they are famished, but
because their diets are lacking the nutrients that vegetables provide. The OMG!
school gardens allow children to grow their own vegetables, granting them
knowledge on horticulture while simultaneously providing them with the vegetables
they need to improve their diet and live a healthier life. OMG! doesn’t only touch the
children but brings awareness to schools, families, and communities.
The target beneficiaries of OMG! are malnourished children. The school
nurse, teachers, and the Food Nutrition and Research Institute identify certain
students as the most malnourished and therefore the most likely to benefit from
OMG!. The following numbers represent the number of recipient students in each
school: 40 in Baler Central School, 160 in Diarabasin Elementary School, 54 in Diteki
Elementary School, 40 in Maria Aurora Central School, and 35 in Reserva
Elementary School.
This project is a collaborative effort, requiring the work of more than one
organization. The following is a brief description of each agencies role in the program
as stated in the Rights and Responsibilities of the partner-agencies in the
Memorandum of Agreement.
OMG!’s role is to act as the lead convener of the core committee on planning
and implementation of the program. They are responsible for coordinating with the
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adopting private entity in the implementation of the vegetable school gardening
program and accepting the package of assistance from the Donor. They also assist
in the implementation and monitoring of the program, provide publicity and media
support to its partners, and finally render periodic report/assessment of the projects
being implemented.
The Department of Education (DepEd) provides policy guidance and
directions to ensure the proper implementation of the school garden program. DepEd
is responsible for recommending schools based on specific criteria including low
academic performance and incidences of malnutrition. They also provide baseline
statistics on malnutrition incidence in the adopted schools, and submit periodic
measurements of the nutrition status of said schools. Finally, they are responsible for
monitoring the program and recommending solutions on any deviations from the
planned activities.
East-West Seed is responsible for supplying the program with the farm inputs
such as seeds, seedlings, farming implements as well as providing the human
capital in the form of a coordinator to conduct lectures for the schools. East-West
Seed also provides technical assistance and technology transfer on modern
vegetable farming to the recipient schools.
Finally, the Donors made up of BDO Foundation, Asian Terminals Inc.,
Aboitiz, Sunwest Care Foundation, and IPNAP make the final decision in which
schools will be a recipient school. They also provide funding for the implementation
of the vegetable school gardening program including the purchase of farm inputs,
seeds, seedlings, as well as the supervision and transportation fees of the program
coordinator at Php65,000 per school.
Inside OMG!:
There were certain daily procedures and practices that were more widely
accepted and effective than others. I think one of the reasons why the students enjoy
OMG! so much is because it is hands-on learning; it gets them out of the classroom
and allows them to spend time outdoors. OMG! is the perfect example of experiential
learning. However, that being said I do think it is necessary to integrate more
academics into the program. Schools should take advantage of the OMG! gardens
and nutritional concepts and use them as a gateway to teach children plant biology,
what vegetables contain what nutrients and why the human body needs the nutrients
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found in vegetables. Students should learn how vegetables affect their body and can
better their health not only in the present but the future as well. Learning this
information may lead to an even greater appreciation and enthusiasm for the
program from both teachers and students.
OMG!requires cooperation from not only the students, but the school and
families as well. One of the most successful and memorable daystook place in Maria
Aurora Central School when students held a cooking competition using the excess
upo from their garden. Students were broken up into five teams and had an hour and
a half to cook a dish with upo being the main ingredient. This cooking competition
reached the ultimate goal of OMG!: it got children to integrate vegetables into their
diet. Students cooked dishes with vegetables in them, and isn’t the point of a cooking
contest to make the most delicious dish necessary? Therefore the students came to
terms that it is possible to make delicious and nutritious dishes with vegetables being
the main ingredient. This cooking competition was a collaborative event, it needed
the participation of many people including: parents to supply the children with
cooking utensils and ingredients (besides the upo,)the OMG! monitors to supervise
the children, the teachers to manage everything, and the school’s canteen staff since
the students were using the canteen space as their kitchen. It goes to show how
many people support the OMG! program.
I think the program would benefit greatly if there were more events like the
cooking competition. I realize that this is easier said than done considering that it
took the collaboration of many people. There were outside resources as well, and
probably not every family is willing to make monetary donations or even contribute
the extra ingredients for their child’s cooking competition in school. Perhaps in the
future when the program has been underway for more years the schools can start an
OMG! fund, saving the money from the vegetables they sell to support events like
the cooking competition.
Impact:
The impact of OMG! is threefold, impacting students, teachers, and the
community. First and arguably most important sinceOMG! is targeted atthem: the
students. A reminder that this must be considered in accordance to the limitation of
study, I never personally observed the students at the beginning of the year.
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According to Michelle, students had a varied knowledge of gardening at the
beginning of the program. Now children confidently walk into the garden with the
knowledge necessary to take care of the plants. Teaching the children how to garden
is a huge accomplishment because it means they have the knowledge needed to
grow a garden anywhere, meaning regardless of where they are they can avoid
malnourishment. OMG! students can easily recognize and identify different varieties
of plants, know what sort of conditions are best for each plant, and realize when
vegetables are ready to be harvested. They have also learned proper
troubleshooting techniques– not all of the schools have perfect gardening
conditions– at some schools the soil is poor, there isn’t enough sunlight, or the rain
comes too often and too heavily. Students have learned how to work through these
weather conditions to find a solution so the plants eventually bear fruit. For example,
the students at Baler Central tend to a garden that is half made up of containers,
rows of sitaw in burlap sacks stretch down the length of a field.
Learning to garden is only half of the program’s accomplishments. The OMG!
students have the tools necessary to live a healthier life. The fact that students know
how to grow their own food is a push in the right direction for students to start eating
more vegetables versus carbohydrates, especially prepackaged carbohydrates.
OMG! has encouraged students to improve their diets; it is fun for them to eat the
vegetables that they grow because they know it is their hard work, it is much more
rewarding than eating something that they bought at the market or a store. Through
OMG! students reap what they sow both literally and figuratively, the latter in the
sense that OMG! is proving to them that their work can pay off in the most effective
and enriching way possible: living a healthier life.
The teachers and principals in the program have been exposed to a new
hands-on teaching method. They have accepted more responsibilities, not only
caring for students but making sure students care for the gardens. I think the most
important impact isOMG! has opened their eyes to the health of their students and
ways to improve it. In my experience with American schools, teachers usually know
which students come from an underprivileged background and don’t have the
monetary needs to live a healthy lifestyle. However, there is never much that
teachers can do to compensate for a student’s poor diet at home. OMG! gives
educators a way to help students eat properly and improve their diet, hence
improving their lifestyle.
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Additionally, through OMG! teachers are able to acquire the knowledge of the
latest gardening technology: fertilizers, pesticides, sowing of seeds, etc. They aren’t
agriculturist so they gain the knowledge needed, just like the children, to successfully
grow gardens.
Lastly, there is the community. All the barangays have been supportive of the
students and their work in the gardens. Many community members buy the excess
vegetables and these funds are turned around to go back into the garden in the form
of new tools, fertilizer, fences, posts, etc. OMG! has sparked the idea of community
gardens as well. One of the teacher coordinators introduced the OMG! module to his
barangay hoping that they could emulate the program and raise vegetables for their
whole community. These are the physical impacts I have seen, but I hope that the
biggest impact is an unseen one: in the children’s homes. Ideally, I would like to think
that what students were taught in OMG!has been carried over to their homes. I
haven’t visited the houses of the students so I can’t know for sure, but hopefully their
enthusiasm for gardening is contagious. If children share what they learn in the
gardens then the parents can start their own gardens, leading to children to consume
more vegetables therefore more vitamins and nutrients.
Issues & Recommendations:
In terms of improving the program, I think the most important and beneficial
step to take is making it more academically focused. I know that the teachers come
from a variety of backgrounds, for example: some are math teachers. In my opinion,
it would make more sense if the science teacher were the ones who monitored the
OMG! gardens so they could teach children about plant cells, photosynthesis, life
cycles, etc. This is most likely easier said than done since teachers already have so
much on their plates with different commitments. If it is feasible I think it would add a
whole new academic dimension to the program– students could learn plant biology
while simultaneously caring for their own plants/vegetables.
One of the issues Michelle and I are now facing is the busy schedule in
schools. All the students are taking the regional tests, and in preparation for the tests
as well as the actual testing, have spent less time in the garden. It is hard to see the
gardens looking a little under loved when only a few weeks before they were lush
and verdant. I understand academics come first but the teachers should have
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foreseen this problem and warned us about it. Maybe in future years the OMG!
program can wrap up a few weeks before graduation so that way students can finish
the program just as successfully as they started it.
Lastly, it may be beneficial to have more than one monitor in each province.
Managing five schools is a big job, especially with so many children enrolled in the
program at every school. It there were two monitors then more work could be
accomplished, better connections could be made with the students and all the
recipients would have an even better understanding of gardens, nutrition, and
vegetables.
Conclusions:
In what will total three months in the Philippines with OMG! I have observed
the utmost respect and dedication to the program from coordinators, teachers,
principals, and students. It is wonderful to see children excited about vegetables, to
see their faces light up when they show us how much the upo have grown since our
last visit. I’m assuming this enthusiasm transfers from the school garden and into the
home, where maybe someday they will have their own garden so they have an
unlimited supply of fresh vegetables giving them the nutrients they need to live a
truly healthy lifestyle. Besides being accepted by the students, OMG! has been
welcomed by all the participating schools and communities. As the years continue I
would assume that the program will only gain more support.Based on my thoughts
and observations the best way to improve the program is by focusing more on
academics and science issues, meaning more lectures and diagrams. All in all, I
would say that this is quite an impressive program considering that it is the pilot year
and I am thankful for those responsible in helping me play a role in it.