LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) started to train educators in sustainable urban farming in a program aimed at empowering the educators to implement hands-on and environmentally sound urban farming systems within schools and communities.
Under an initiative titled "In-Country Training on Urban Farming for Sustainable Cultivation to Support Biodiversity Conservation, Education, and Food Security in the Philippines," Department of Education (DepEd) educators are equipped with practical skills and ecological knowledge for greener communities.
The training is also co-organized by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Center for Tropical Biology (BIOTROP).
"The training is designed to empower educators, the frontliners in shaping mindsets, with updated tools and knowledge to implement ecologically sound urban farming systems that serve as living laboratories for sustainability," said SEARCA Center Director Dr. Mercedita Sombilla.
Under the initiative, Sombilla noted that some 30 teaching and non-teaching personnel from DepEd Laguna have recently completed a transformative in-country training focused on urban farming for sustainable cultivation, biodiversity conservation, education, and food security.
The 30 educators represented 10 public elementary and secondary schools, as well as the DepEd Laguna division committee.
Jose Camacho Jr., chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, emphasized that the participation of DepEd Laguna personnel demonstrates a collective commitment to making schools greener, communities healthier, and learners more empowered.
According to Sombilla, the training featured two core modules: hydroponics cultivation and urban agroforestry systems. It included an introduction to urban agriculture by Doni Yusri of SEAMEO BIOTROP, and a session on the benefits of hydroponics for biodiversity conservation, led by Eureka Teresa Ocampo of the UPLB.
Participants engaged in hands-on project planning and visited the university's state-of-the-art smart greenhouses, where automated irrigation and data-driven crop monitoring are being integrated into research and production.
The training also delved into urban agroforestry with Forester Cary Maynard Olivar leading a forest therapy session at the UPLB Makiling Botanical Gardens and a visit to the Learning Laboratory for Agroforestry.
Lorena Sabino and team discussed strategies for integrating trees and crops and presented models for school-based edible landscapes.
Participants also developed and presented school-based action plans to implement urban farming in their respective institutions.
During training, Editha Atendido, Schools Division superintendent of DepEd Laguna, was represented by Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Jaypee Lopo, who affirmed DepEd Laguna's commitment to replicating and sharing the training's learnings with other schools, aspiring to turn local actions into global solutions.
Highlighting the transformative role of educators, Elis Rosdiawati, deputy director for Administration of SEAMEO BIOTROP, expressed hope that such training will inspire students to appreciate agriculture and biodiversity as an integral part of daily life.
John Arnold Siena, deputy director for Program and Development of the SEAMEO Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat, underscored the significance of strategic collaboration among SEAMEO specialist institutions in promoting regional sustainability.