Enhancing Vegetable Program in the School through PIE: (Planning, Implementation and Evaluation)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Education continuously intensifies programs and projects that will address the malnutrition and vegetable production and consumption among its learners. The department issued Department of Education Order No.191 s. 2013 about the implementation of the Health and Nutrition Center (HNC-Funded Vegetable Program in the School assisted by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI). However, the school's achievement of the program was not continued. It seems that the school needs to revisit and plan an enhancement program to strengthen and intensify the program. This study will help the school to develop an enhancement program/activities for Vegetable Program in the School to support the Department of Education in promoting food security in schools and communities through self-help, food production activities and values among learners and application of agriculture as a life support system.

METHODS

The researcher utilized the descriptive qualitative-quantitative approach. Data from the school profile and the terminal report for the past three consecutive school years 2014 -2015 to 2016 -2017 of the Vegetable Program in the School were gathered and analyzed. An informal interview to 14 teachers, 20 students selected randomly from Grade 8 to Grade 10, and the 10 parents selected from the attendance was conducted to gather the challenges they experienced in the implementation of the program.

RESULTS

Based on the data analysis, the land area of the Vegetable Garden of the school increases in size yearly similar with the number of crops planted. Traditional gardening was implemented with school nursery, medicinal garden and crop museum. The harvested vegetables served as supplementary for feeding program and as ingredients for cooking some recipes in the Cookery classes of Grade 9 and Grade 10 students. The GPP of the school serves also as the laboratory of learning for the students and the teachers.

DISCUSSIONS

The designed Enhancement Plan for the Vegetable Program of Francisco G. Perez Memorial National High School served as the implementing guidelines of the sustainability of the program. Thus, further evaluation is recommended to improve the program.