Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION IV- A CALABARZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BATANGAS
DISTRICT OF AGONCILLO
BANYAGA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Banyaga, Agoncillo, Batangas
SIGA project of DepEd aims for every school to plant trees in every available space, thus, the
concept of being a school inside a garden. Other alternative methods like container gardening,
vertical gardening, and other appropriate alternative methods may be used by schools without
available planting space. Schools are also tasked to make an inventory of plants and trees within the
school vicinity which should be properly labeled to serve as part of the school’s educational efforts.
The creation of nurseries for indigenous and endemic trees to serve as a laboratory for learners is
also an aim of this program.

Through SIGA, the importance of schools and their roles in rehabilitating the heavily-
challenged natural environment, and their initiatives toward a sustainable National Greening
Program are also highlighted. With the help of Youth for the Environment in Schools Organization
(YES-O), Supreme Student Government (SSG), GSP, BSP and GPP (Gulayan sa Paaralan) as part for
this program, learners will be involved in planting and caring for endemic flowering trees and plant
species within BNHS campus.

“Garden Rehabilitation “

Species extinction due to natural and man-made influences is undeniable and a serious
threat to our planet. Once they are gone, we have lost them forever. For plants, seed banks are a
way to combat this threat. They are an important part of a robust seed system for food security.
Seed banks protect and save plant genetic diversity, which is important for a number of reasons.
These saved and viable seeds contain a treasure trove of useful genes that breeders can use for
developing improved varieties of our major food crops.

Rare, heritage, indigenous, wild or regionally-specific plants are particularly vulnerable to

extinction. Their loss over time also can lead to genetic erosion of our food system. In other words,
we lose the genetic diversity of a variety of crops. Adapting to climate change or new pests can be
difficult without good genetic diversity. Crop breeders need a variety of genetic resources to help
our crops adapt to changing conditions. As modern cultivars gain acreage and sometimes replace
these plants, it becomes increasingly important to make sure these historic genetics are preserved in
seed banks for future use.

In this time of pandemic, Banyaga National High School project Garden Rehabilitation
focuses in the rehabilitation and establishment of a seedbank and nursery garden that will serve as a
shelter and preservation of seeds and seedlings.

The school campus site for the proposed site is still laden with ashfall from the recent Taal
Volcanic eruption, this doesn’t stop the BNHS faculty and staff to lend a hand in clearing the land. So
on October 20, Faculty and staff of BNHS, hand in hand, had rehabilitated and established its’ own
Seedbank and Nursery Garden that will house the donated plants from its Stakeholders.

Address: Banyaga, Agoncillo, Batangas

Email Address: banyaganhs301076@gmail.com
Contact No.: 0917 563 9092
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION IV- A CALABARZON
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BATANGAS
DISTRICT OF AGONCILLO
BANYAGA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Banyaga, Agoncillo, Batangas

“Donate a Plant and Tree Planting”

Rehabilitating a school garden is not easy. Funds were badly needed for acquisition of plants
and tree seedlings to be planted. Efforts should be doubled in order to create a way to produce
certain amounts. But due to the pandemic, it would be hard to raise funds that is why SIGA’s activity
for the month of November 2020 focuses on devising ways on how to acquire plants ready for
planting.

Plans and visions were laid and it came up to asking for the stakeholders participation - that
is to donate a plant to Banyaga National High School.

Parents and learners were very eager to help. They were asked to grow a flowering plant,
herb or a vegetable in a recycled pot to be brought to school every distribution of their child’s
activity sheets. It was indeed a success, not only having accumulated plenty of plants and trees ready
for planting and future use but also somehow inculcated among learners the importance of planting.

Even at this time of uncertainty, wherein face to face classes where prohibited, the SIGA
Program of Banyaga National High School thru its’ project Donate a Plant still contributed and served
as curriculum laboratory for their learners.

By doing all of these, the values of unity, teamwork, volunteerism, nationalism, and
community service for environmental protection and conservation will be instilled among the
learners’ young minds. As an added benefit they will also get to experience the therapeutic effects of
spending time in green spaces. Just like what the elders say “we should start them young” until such
time that they develop these tasks into habits.

Contributing for the greater good of mother nature while letting children learn is a win-win
situation for all humankind.

Address: Banyaga, Agoncillo, Batangas

Email Address: banyaganhs301076@gmail.com
Contact No.: 0917 563 9092