Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3467

HOUSE BILL NO. ____

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In 2007, the Department of Education (DepEd) issued Memorandum No. 293 to
implement the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program. The objective was to promote food
security in schools and communities, through self-help food production activities. It
also aimed to encourage the appreciation of agriculture as a life support system. The
same program is currently being sustained in all public schools nationwide’.

Establishing gardens in schools have become a great tool for educating outside of the
classrooms. It promotes environmental stewardship and has been seen to provide a
number of benefits to school children, especially in the area of health®. Allotting a plot
of land for this activity can, according to DepEd’, inculcate among learners the values
of gardening, good health and nutrition, and love of labor.

School gardens, also and more importantly, teach the benefits of a healthy diet and
lifestyle®, Students are enthused to reap the fruits of their labor and enjoy them, as
these plots of small land provide them the chance to eat the food that they themselves
grew. According to Agriculture Monthly, various research has showed that children

* Herando-Malipot, Merlina June 18, 2018. Manila Bulletin. hitps//news mb com;
n-progran’. Accessed July 30,2019,

Patricia. 2016, “Instructional School Gardens: Opportunit
+//pis semantiescholarorB/d5a0/S667Rea9e4dbb00717 3067265:
‘Gardens Resource. hnips://www slowfoodu

Siders Assessed ly 30,2018

Rideded-to-sustin-implementation-of

and barriers to scaling". Duquesne University,
1c9015a pdf Accessed July 30, 2019.

is/sdownload/359 ile

+ The Renee of having a school garden” p/w. shesdueatronin com/k2/newsth- benefit taving--school-arden/ 252071
‘Accessed July 30,2019,



who are involved with school gardening tend to eat more fruits and vegetables’. For a
country with chronic malnutrition problems, the benefits of school gardens and the
opportunity to teach children about nutrition cannot be ignored.

This bill proposes to replicate the program implemented by DepEd by establishing
instructional gardens in elementary and secondary schools, whether private or public.
This would mandate schools to devote a portion of their lots for the cultivation of
vegetables and other nutrient rich plants as identified by the Department of Agriculture,
in consultation with the Department of Health. Schools lacking in land or those located
in urban areas shall avail of hydroponic gardening methods and other organic
gardening technologies.

This bill shall likewise mandate the inclusion of nutrition and health consciousness in
the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools. Schools shall also develop a
system of involving the parents of their students and the community at large to create
opportunities for all to learn and cultivate the practice of planting vegetables, while
reaping the benefits of eating healthy food. In the same manner that the Gulayan sa
Paaralan Program of the DepEd aimed to address malnutrition among school children,
this representation and the bill proposed intends the same.

This bill is filed as a counterpart to Senator Cynthia Villar’s version in the Senate and
its approval is earnestly sought.

LUIS UI ‘LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

* Yap, Julio Je. 2018. Agriculture Monthly. htps:/iwww agriculture com ph/2019/02/1/schoo-gardens-are-importan-to-children/, Accessed
aly 30, 2019.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House BILL No. _3487

ee

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

—_— See

AN ACT
MANDATING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL GARDENS IN ALL
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, MAKING
IT A REQUIREMENT FOR THE CREATION AND ISSUANCE OF PERMITS FOR
SCHOOLS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Instructional Gardens Act of
2019”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
Towards this end the State shall adopt and put in place hunger mitigation and poverty
alleviation schemes to promote the nutrition, food security, and economic stability of

its citizens.

To ensure the fulfillment of this goal, all educational institutions shall be required to
include nutrition and health consciousness in their curriculum. They are mandated to
devote a reasonable portion of their school lots to serve as instructional gardens for
the growing of vegetables and other plants having nutritional value.

SECTION 3. Instructional Garden Definition. — A plot of school land or an area within
a school devoted to the growing of vegetables and other nutritional plants that
promotes interactive, hands-on learning in which pupils learn composting and waste


management techniques, fundamental concepts about nutrition and obesity
prevention, and the cultural and historical aspects of agriculture and food and its role
in the national economy.

SECTION 4. Instructional Gardens Program. - The Instructional Gardens Program
shall be implemented in all elementary and secondary schools, public or private. They
shall devote a portion of their school lots for the cultivation of vegetables and other
nutrient rich plants as identified by the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with
the Department of Health, Department of Education and other concerned agencies.

Schools lacking in land or those located in urban areas shall avail of hydrophonic
gardening methods and other organic gardening technologies with the assistance of
the Department of Science and Technology and other government agencies.

SECTION 5. Nutrition and Health Consciousness. — It shall be mandatory for all
elementary and secondary schools to include nutrition and health consciousness in its
curriculum as well as the cultural and historical aspects of agriculture and food
production. This program shall be used to equally enhance any subject area including
science, environmental education, mathematics, reading, writing, art, nutrition,
physical education, history, and geography.

The schools shall develop a system of involving the parents of their students and the
community at large in its instructional garden program to promote awareness on health
and nutrition as well as the economic benefits of establishing a school, household and
community garden.

SECTION 6. /dentification of Plot of Land. — No school, elementary or secondary,
shall be established without first securing an endorsement from the Division
Superintendent attesting that a plot of land has been designated to form part of an
instructional garden or an area has been identified where a garden using hydrophonic
gardening methods and other organic gardening technologies shall be located. The
provisions of this section shall apply to schools seeking the issuance of permits for
their academic programs.

SECTION 7. Tax Incentives. — All allocations of grants, endowments, donations, or
contributions and technical assistance provided by the private individuals or


corporations to schools and other educational institutions for this purpose as certified
by the Department of Education, shall be exempt from taxes and duties.

SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — The Department of Education,
after consultation with other relevant agencies, schools and education and health
advocacy groups shall issue the necessary rules and regulations to implement this Act
within ninety (90) days from the approval of this Act.

SECTION 9. Appropriations. - The amount needed for the initial implementation of
this Act shall be taken from the current year’s appropriations of the Department of
Education (DepEd). Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its continued
implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 10. Separability Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the remainder of this Act or any provisions hereof not
affected thereby shall continue to be in force and effect.

SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
‘executive order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent or contrary to the
provisions of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its complete publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,