Co-led by Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the Rotary Club of Laoag Sunshine, the Gender-Responsive and Culture-based Bio-intensive Gardening Program reached its next key phase as technical teams conducted site validation visits across four partner elementary schools on September 10 and 18, 2026.

The program brings together MMSU and the Rotary Club alongside CGU Batac, DepEd City Schools Division of Batac, DA-INREC, and the Provincial Agriculture Office to transform school grounds into hands-on learning sites for nutrition, food security, and student enterprise.

The recent site validations build directly on momentum from earlier activities, including the official program launch on August 21 and a corporate social responsibility contribution from Bakers Ph, to include recycled containers for vegetable planting across all partner campuses.

During the September visits, a technical team evaluated the topography, sun and shade exposure, water sources, and soil conditions at Mariano Marcos Memorial, Quiling, Hilario Valdez Memorial, and Tabug Elementary Schools. The validation team included Dr. Arnel G. Felipe and Mr. John Marlo Bangayan from the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development; Engr. Roxanne Joy O. Antonio and Engr. Stephenleigh A. Guittap from the College of Engineering; and Mr. Meynard M. Saclayan from the MMSU Extension Directorate.

The team members are now using their on-site assessments to finalize farm layouts and crop recommendations for each campus. Moving forward, partner agencies will roll out capacity-building workshops for parents and guardians to open family livelihood opportunities, alongside participatory monitoring to sustain the school gardens (Meynard M. Saclayan, ED Staff).

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