The implementation of this year’s Gulayan sa Paaralan Agricultural Youth to Enhance Knowledge (GP-AYEK) Program has officially begun. The orientation for the three divisions started in June 2025 for the Tandag City Division and in July 2025 for the Surigao del Sur and Bislig City Divisions.

Launched in August 2023, GP-AYEK is a regular program of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg). The program aims to promote vegetable production in public elementary and secondary schools, encouraging the establishment of campus gardens to serve as food baskets that support the school feeding program.

As part of its commitment, OPAg spearheads the implementation by providing essential production inputs such as vegetable seeds, organic fertilizers, and garden tools, as well as facilitating training for participating schools.

To ensure proper monitoring and evaluation, the pre-evaluation of Gulayan sa Paaralan for the Bislig City Division was conducted on September 1–10, 2025. The Bislig Division requested the presence of OPAg staff to join their evaluation team. A total of 70 schools were evaluated by the OPAg Crops Division staff: Mr. Darwin Patriarca, High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Provincial Coordinator, Ms. Clarissa Bagnol, Techno-Demo Coordinator; and Ms. Sheilyne E. Paderes, Report Officer. They were joined by Ms. Ruby Los Baños, HVCDP Bislig Coordinator, and Ms. Melody Tenefrancia, Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) Focal Person.

From the 70 schools assessed, only 12 schools will advance to the final evaluation scheduled on October 1–14, 2025. Meanwhile, the pre-evaluations for the Tandag City Division and Surigao del Sur Division are still ongoing.

Beyond vegetable production, the GP-AYEK Program is designed to address malnutrition among school children by providing access to healthy and nutritious food. The initiative also seeks to instill the values of farming, sustainability, and care for the environment among the youth.