ISABELA CITY, Basilan — The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) set up vegetable gardens in 403 schools in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur to help address problem on food security and malnutrition.

Dubbed as Programang Agrikulturang Pilipino - Gulayan sa Paaralan, the project is part of the accelerated hunger mitigation program of the government and involves the establishment of a 200-square meter vegetable garden in each of the selected schools.

A corresponding number of teachers will serve as focal persons and will receive training on vegetable cultivation and on ways to encourage children and the rest of community members to eat vegetables and grow them in their own backyard.

"We hope to enhance food security in some of the impoverished communities in the region and promote the consumption of vegetables thru this program," says Salik Panalunsong, field operation chief of DAF-ARMM.

The schools will be provided with vegetable seeds, garden tools, organic fertilizers, and information and education materials on vegetable gardening, he said.

Panalunsong said they look forward to the success of the project and have it implemented in the rest of the component provinces of ARMM by next year.

DAF-ARMM and its partner agencies plan to hold a contest and reward schools that can set up the best vegetable garden in the future. (BPI-ARMM/RVC-PIA9 BaSulTa)