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SURIGAO DEL SUR, July 14, 2025—𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗘𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗖. 𝗔𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗢. 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹, 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 (𝗦𝗕𝗙𝗣), 𝗠𝘀. 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗲 𝗟. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘆𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱.

The visit highlighted the school's outstanding implementation of the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP). Maglambing Integrated School is widely recognized as a regional model for school gardening and was honored during the 2021 Gawad Siklab National Awards for its exemplary practices. The GPP, implemented under the Bureau of Learner Support Services – School Health Division (BLSS-SHD) through the Operations Strand, supports the Integrated School Nutrition Model (ISNM) of the Nutrition and Hygiene Unit.

This on-site monitoring visit is part of the region's preparations for the upcoming Benchmarking Activity for GPP Best Implementers, set for October 21–24, 2025, at the Schools Division Office of Surigao del Sur. The activity seeks to conduct a comprehensive review of the successful strategies used by the 2021 GPP Best Implementer Awardees. It will also serve as a platform to document achievements, identify challenges, and extract valuable lessons from these model schools. Moreover, the event aims to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among schools, local government units (LGUs), and key stakeholders, ultimately generating actionable recommendations to enhance the implementation and long-term impact of the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program nationwide.

During the visit, RD Asuncion emphasized the importance of showcasing the full cycle of the program, from planting and nurturing crops to eventually serving them on the table. "It's not enough to focus on coffee alone; we need to integrate it with other crops and practices to maximize its value," she said, encouraging schools to adopt a holistic approach to gardening and nutrition.

Echoing the regional director's sentiments, SDS Macasocol stressed the need for active learner participation in the program. "Our learners must be engaged in the actual process — they need to experience it firsthand to understand the value of food production and sustainability, truly," he noted.

The visit reaffirmed DepEd Caraga's commitment to strengthening nutrition-sensitive initiatives and promoting hands-on learning experiences that develop not only academic competencies but also life skills and environmental awareness among learners.

For more information, contact (085) 221-1151, 0961-737-0873, or 0915-808-4734. Website: www.caraga.deped.gov.ph; email: caraga@deped.gov.ph; pau_caraga@deped.gov.ph.

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