Bawi Goes 3rsp: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Produce: Redefining Gulayan Sa Paaralan Program

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Bawi Elementary School is one of the schools of Padre Garcia District. It is located in the western part of the town. This school is considered as one of the depressed schools in the town of Padre Garcia due to insufficient land for planting. It has a vast agricultural land but only a few of the people own it. They only work as helpers to the owners, earning a meager income where most of their children's education needs are being sacrificed just to meet their basic needs.

METHODS

The study employed a qualitative approach using phenomenology of Zahavi's pre-reflective self-awareness of experience through interviews. Since the early part of 2011 when Executive Order No. 53 was released, its deputized government institutions like Department of Education as one of the government agencies to initiate the implementation of the National Greening Program. Personal experiences of the subject were categorized into retention, primal impression, and pretention, which served as a self-manifestation of the subject's stretched consciousness. An ocular observation of the garden was conducted to validate the interviews made. Data gathered were supplemented with periodic reports and other related studies.

RESULTS

The school, community, and the municipal staff joined together to make the activity possible. Implementors of the project focus more on the importance of having a school garden with the use of innovative materials. Teachers assigned their pupils to bring their own materials like empty cans, empty water containers, vehicle wheels, and any materials available at home wherein they can put soil and plant in it. PTA officers were assigned in their respective homeroom sections so that they can monitor the development of the gulayan. Vegetable seedlings came from the school where the nursery was located but some were donated by parents and other stakeholders of the school.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate that pupils and students interviewed said that Gulayan sa Paaralan, through vegetable gardening, helped the school and their families economically. It is concluded that the school is still vibrant in the implementation of the program. Through the program, the pupils learned to love and appreciate the field of agriculture.