The Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), led by Executive Director Donald James D. Gawe, CESO III, and officials of the University of the Philippines Los Baños–Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (UPLB-SEARCA) recently met online to explore potential areas of collaboration on school-based and community-oriented garden initiatives anchored on volunteerism.
During the meeting, Dr. Girlie T. Tatlonghari, Program Head for Research and Thought Leadership of SEARCA, presented the School + Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise (SHGBEE) initiative. Complementary to the Department of Education's Gulayan sa Paaralan, SHGBEE promotes edible landscaping as a practical approach to transforming school and household spaces into productive learning environments that integrate food production, aesthetics, biodiversity conservation, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
Implemented since 2016, SHGBEE is anchored on three interrelated pillars—Education, Nutrition, and Economics. Through hands-on gardening, learners, teachers, and parents gain practical agricultural knowledge while reinforcing classroom lessons. The produce from school and home gardens directly supports nutrition education by improving access to fresh and healthy food and encouraging better dietary practices, while surplus harvests contribute to economic sustainability through livelihood and small-scale enterprise opportunities.
SEARCA also shared its Dunong Program, which mobilizes volunteers to support literacy, nutrition, and organic agriculture, offering opportunities for convergence with SHGBEE to strengthen implementation and expand its reach.
ED Gawe noted that SHGBEE provides a strong platform for community-based volunteer engagement and has the potential to be scaled up nationwide, ensuring year-round participation even during school breaks. The initiative also aligns with the Philippines' commitments as the world prepares to observe 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, with potential to be highlighted in regional platforms such as the ASEAN Summit.
Both institutions expressed commitment to continue coordination through onsite engagements and the possible forging of a Memorandum of Understanding, planting the seeds for volunteer-driven initiatives that nurture education, nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods.