Villar wants to institutionalize veggie planting in schools to combat malnutrition

Senator Cynthia Villar on Saturday said she is eyeing to legislate a measure that will institutionalize vegetable planting in school spaces to address malnutrition among pupils.

"Magpapasa ako ng batas institutionalizing 'Gulayan sa Paaralan'," Villar said during the weekly In Focus news forum in Quezon City.

The Vegetable Gardening in Schools or "Gulayan sa Paaralan" project was launched by the Department of Education in 2017. The project aims to raise consciousness on nutrition and address malnutrition among schoolchildren by planting vegetables in schools and supplementing the harvest in schools' feeding program.

"I will pass a law institutionalizing 'Gulayan sa Paaralan' kasi I went to a public school in  Oton, Iloiolo. 'Yung kanilang school nagtanim ng mga gulay tapos every lunch dumadating 'yung mga nanay by turns nagluluto ng gulay na tinanim ng mga bata at pinakakain sa mga bata," Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said.

"Na-solve nila ang malnutrition nila sa ganon... sabi nila kumita pa ang school kasi sumobra ang mga gulay na hinarvest. Naisip ko kung lahat ng eskwelahang public ito ang gagawin then maso-solve natin ang malnutrition na walang hirap ang gobyerno," she said.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition everyday, while 27 out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday.

A third of Filipino children are stunted, or short for their age. Stunting after 2 years of age can be permanent, irreversible and even fatal, according to the UNICEF.

"Gusto ko lahat ng school gagawin 'yan and become part of the nutrition program of the children para ma-solve ang malnutrition," the senator said. — MDM, GMA News