Republic of the ‘Dbilippines Department of Education a REGION III-CENTRAL LUZON REGIONAL MEMORANDUM No...) 8. 2022 426 IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL FARM SCHOOLS To: — Schools Division Superintendents Curriculum Implementation Division Chiefs Education Program Supervisors in Technology and Livelihood Education Public Secondary School Heads/Principals All Others Concerned 1. The Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office 3 issues the enclosed Implementation Guidelines on the Establishment of Rural Farm Schools in Region Ill in consonance with Republic Act No. 10618, An Act Establishing Rural Farm School (RFS) as Alternative Delivery Mode of Secondary Education, and Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 36, s. 2015, titled Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10618. 2. These guidelines aim to lay out the criteria in the selection of schools that will implement the program, teachers and school heads’ qualifications, curriculum that will be used, time allotment, possible sources of learning materials, and partnership for external support for the RFS Program to properly guide those schools with the intent to implement the mentioned program. 3. These implementation guidelines shall take effect immediately. 4. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Memorandum is enjoined. nl MAY B. ECLAR, PhD, CESO III cegional Director Encl.: as stated Cimait July 27, 2022 ‘Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.phRepublic of the Philivvines Department of Education REGION IE-CENTRAL LUZON IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL FARM SCHOOLS I. RATIONALE According to data presented in the State of Food Security in the World Report (2021) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines has the greatest number of food insecure people from 2018-2020, with about 50.4 million people suffering from moderate to severe food insecurity (State of Food Security in the World Report, pg. 173). Moreover, during the onset of the COVID-2019 pandemic, the Food and Nutrition Institute (FNRI) conducted a Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey on Food Security, Coping Mechanisms, and Nutrition Services availed during COVID-19 pandemic in selected areas in the country. One of the key findings is that for surveyed households, 62.1% of respondents experienced moderate or severe food insecurity (FNRI, 2020) As part of the country’s efforts to provide quality education to all citizens and promote sustainable agricultural productivity in the country, the Republic Act (RA) No, 10618 was approved on September 3, 2013 (Congress of the Philippines, 2013). This Republic Act is also known as the Rural Farm Schools Act. In the RA, rural farm schools are defined as “a parallel learning system and an alternative delivery mode of secondary education that provides for facilitative and experiential learning on the core subjects of the secondary education curriculum with a focus on Agri-fisheries, designed to address the needs of children in rural, agricultural, or fishing communities. (Congress of the Philippines, 2013, p. 2). In Region IIL, the goal of establishing rural farm schools is aligned with the goals of RA 10618, that is, to equip learners with agricultural skills and develop sustainable farming. At the same time, another goal of establishing rural farm schools in the region is to help curb issues of food insecurity. With the current situation in the implementation of Agri-fishery Arts in the region, there is a decreasing trend in enrolment based on the results of the monitoring conducted, due to the perception and experiences of learners’ parents on the low profitability and return-of-investment in agriculture. ‘The Rural Farm School Program can help change the negative impressions of farming and agriculture through the concept “Earning while on Training.” Implementing this program in the region will also help train human capital and develop a new breed of farmers that can contribute to solving food insecurity in the country. Insufficient supply of food and agricultural commodities is a factor in the increasing market prices of basic goods which are being experienced today. ‘Address: Matalino St,, D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) , Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 9; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph AJA JAB Getcha AAI?Republic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON I. Scope ‘These implementation guidelines shall cover criteria in the selection of schools that will implement the program, teachers and school heads’ qualifications, curriculum that will be used, time allotment, possible sources of learning materials, and partnership for external support for the Rural Farm School Program to public schools in DepEd Region III. Ti, Implementation Arrangements To standardize the establishment and implementation of Rural Farm School, the Department of Education Regional Office Ill hereby issues the following implementation arrangements: A. Criteria in the Selection of Prospective Schools As stated in RA 10618, DepEd shall encourage the establishment of at least one (1) public rural farm school in every province. The DepEd shall select among the identified public high schools in each province a school that may offer the rural farm school program. The DepEd shall give priority to existing Agricultural-Fishery schools. However, a new rural farm school may also be established and integrated with the existing schools. In Region Ill, instead of establishing at least one public rural farm school in every province, the scope will be expanded. This is open to all ordinary schools that will meet the following criteria: The public school must have: > a minimum of 5,000 square meters (one-half hectare) demonstration farm laboratory, either owned by the school or with a memorandum of agreement with stakeholders; > nearby potential partners; » basic garden tools and equipment for the land cultivation/fishpond construction, repair, and rehabilitation; >» trained teachers/tutors who are at least NC holders; and > existing learning materials like Competency-Based Learning Modules (CBLM), contextualized modules, and others. However, schools that are already offering Special Program in Technical Vocational Education (SPTVE) are no longer qualified to offer the program to avoid conflicts on their mandates and school flagship programs. On the other hand, Integrated Secondary Schools meeting the given requirements shall be prioritized to become standalone Rural Farm Schools. ‘Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando () & Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph AB AJA aRepublic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON B. Specialization and Qualification of Rural Farm School Teachers/Tutors ‘Teachers/tutors that will handle Rural Farm School classes should have the following specialization and qualifications: Graduate/ specialized in any of the Agri-fishery Arts Specialization; Acquired and passed the National Certificate (NC) Assessment; Capable also of acting as guidance counselors, rural developers, livelihood project proponents, marketing specialists, and/or project consultants; and Capable of establishing a working partnership with the parents by conducting parent-tutor dialogues and parent workshops. vvv . C. Qualification of the School Head/Principal/Head Teacher Per DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2015, every rural farm school shall have a school head/ principal to oversee its operations, management, and school-community coordination. The school head/principal/head teacher must have a specialization in Technical Vocational Education. D. Rural Farm School Curriculum Components ‘The curriculum of the Rural Farm School shall follow the core secondary curriculum of DepEd and the following curriculum components that shall be implemented: > Grades 7 and 8 take exploratory lessons covering the fundamental concept and principles of Agri-Fishery Arts, while » Grades 9 and 10 shall deal with Agri-Fishery Arts (AFA) specializations through the consultation of the community and the school with the assistance of the division and regional education program supervisors, such as but not limited to poultry production, swine production, organic agriculture, aquaculture, crop production, and food processing and other courses potential in the community. It also requires the application of Agro-Entrepreneurship focusing on the products, crops, and livelihood in the locality. Below are samples of rural farm school specializations that the school may offer based on the resources that are available and the location. ‘Agriculture ‘Animal _ Fishery Art T. Agri-crop production | I. Animal Production 1. Aquaculture ‘2. Organic agriculture | 2. Swine & poultry 2. Fish processing 3. Fish product packaging 4. Fish gear repair and maintenance Address: Matalino St,,D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, Cty of San Fernando(P) “at Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.eh AJA \74B eee ie AAG?Department of Education REGION IIL-CENTRAL LUZON E. Core Learning Areas and Time Allotment ‘The time allotment for each subject to be taken by learners in the rural farm school is as follows: Subjects Time Allotment/ No. of Minutes per week English 240 -| Math 240 Filipino ; 240 Science 240 | Araling Panlipunan 180 Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao 120 Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health 240 (MAPEH) z ‘Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) 600 Home Guidance Program 60 ‘This time allotment will be the basis or guide for the flexible learning of each subject for the minimum period for class interaction. The learning time may include study visits and home period, in-school learning experiences at home or in the community to transform learning into real-life situations as provided in the curriculum. The school may allow one week in school and three weeks on the family farm or the place of practicum which could be at a local shop, business enterprise, farmers’ cooperative, etc. provided that prior to this schedule, the teacher shall conduct validation if the learners are compliant with the program requirements. F. Curriculum Support System for Learning Resources The rural farm school may acquire needed learning resources for the implementation of the RFS Program through the following means: > Teaching-learning materials shall be developed based on the curriculum guide and community needs and made available in the DepEd LR portal: » Other Open Education Resources (OER) in print and digital formats in Agri-Fishery arts such as reference books, textbooks, modules, and videos may be used as a teaching reference. The learning resources to be used in = ie ‘Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) aa) Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.eh AJA JABRepublic of the Dbitippines Department of Education REGION IILCENTRAL LUZON the core subjects shall be the existing textbooks and self-learning modules; and » Additional learning modules may also be developed following the Alternative Delivery Mode Learning Resource Standards. G. Facilities and Equipment Schools that may offer the RFS Program must have the necessary facilities and equipment. These can be materialized through the following modes: > Necessary standard tools and equipment shall be provided by the Department of Education and stakeholders to support the conduct of the rural farm school activities; > — Sharing of available facilities and equipment within the school’s division is highly encouraged to maximize the resources; and » Schools may tie up with the government and private institutions for technical assistance and the use of available training facilities/resources centers. H. Curriculum Pilot Implementation Before the full implementation of the Rural Farm School Program, there shall be a pilot implementation of the program in Grades 7 and 8 in identified pilot schools. This shall be done this coming School Year 2022-2023. The full implementation shall be conducted in the succeeding school year. ‘The DepEd Regional Office III, through the Regional Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) Education Program Supervisor and one Quality Assurance Division Education Program Supervisor, shall assess the existing recommended public secondary agricultural and fisheries schools and family farm schools to determine the capability and readiness of the said schools to implement the program in a particular schools divisions. Expenses of the regional, division, and teachers on validation and monitoring will be charged to the Maintenance Operation and Other Expenses (MOOE) subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations. During the pilot implementation phase of the RFS program, the existing learning materials shall be utilized until such time that the RFS learning resources have been developed. The prepared and existing materials include self-learning modules (SLMs), textbooks, reference materials, internet-based ‘Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) | “ei ‘Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph AJA JABRepublic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON materials, and other contextualized and localized learning materials that shall be made available for the teachers. The quality assured learning activity sheets (LAS) may also be used in the absence and/or to complement. existing materials. New rural farm schools that will be established shall no longer be allowed to offer other programs to successfully implement the program. However, rural farm school may also be integrated with the existing schools per DO’36, s. 2015, provided that the program shall be implemented effectively. Skills Training and Extension Support for Teachers/Tutors of Rural Farm School The Department of Education, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) shall provide continuous technical skills training and provision of teaching and learning materials including, but not limited to books, student workbooks, teaching guides, prerequisite equipment and tools on the subjects offered, and other extension services to the tutors of rural farm schools. ‘The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority shalll assist in the training, assessment, and certification of the tutors to qualify them to teach the embedded Training Regulation (TR) in the curriculum. TESDA also assists in the embedment of the competency-based curriculum in the Rural Farm School and the assessment of students for National Certificate (NC). J. Selection Process of Potential Rural Farm School Implementers In the selection of the potential rural farm school implementers, the procedure below shall be observed: 1. The Division TLE EPS shall conduct mapping of schools that have the potential to implement the Rural Farm School Program. 2. The school head of the mapped school that has the intention to implement the RFS Program shall submit a letter of intent to the concerned SDO. 3. The SDO through the Division TLE Education Program Supervisor (EPS) shall acknowledge the letter of intent and provide the RFS processing checklist in Enclosure No. 1, prepared by the region to serve as a guide in the preparation of the required documents. Address: Matalino St,, D.M.. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) So Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph AJA ABRepublic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION III-CENTRAL LUZON ‘The required documents together with the application letter shall be submitted to the SDO for evaluation. ‘The in-charge TLE EPS shall inspect the physical facilities if the documents are complete. However, if incomplete, these shall be returned to the concerned school head for completion. The letter of intent together with the complete and evaluated documents ‘shall be endorsed by the concerned SDS to the Regional Office if the school met the minimum requirement for the physical facilities and the specialized teachers who will handle the RFS classes. ‘The school and SDO shall observe and follow the timeline of the submission of documentary requirements by the school, processing of the documents, on-site validation of the physical facilities and required teachers, endorsement of the division evaluation report, and documentary requirements to the Regional Office, through the Quality Assurance Division (QAD) in collaboration with the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD). ‘The timeline of activities for the mapping of potential schools to implement the program, submission, processing, and evaluation of the RFS Program application is given below: ‘Activity, Time Frame Person Involved Pilot Phase Full Implementation Hl __| Phase Mapping of ‘July 20-22, 2022 | Every last week | SDO TLE/TVL schools that are of February | EPS qualified to implement the RFS Program ‘Submission of ‘August 3, 2022 | Every second | School the documentary week of March | Head/Principal requirements listed in the processing checklist to the Schools Division Office Evaluation of ‘August 8, 2022 | Every last week | SDO TLE/TVL Documents and ofMarch | EPS On-Site Validation (Note: @ Address: Mataino St, D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, Cy of San Fernando (P) Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: reRepublic af the Philippines: Department of Education REGION IIL-CENTRAL LUZON The SDO focal person shall inform the school immediately about the ‘comments and suggestions for appropriate action) Preparation of the Division Evaluation Report based on the Documents evaluated and On-site Validation conducted ‘August 10, 2022 First week of April SDO TLE/TVE EPS Endorsement of the division Evaluation Report and documentary requirements by the SDO ‘August 12, 2022 ‘Second week of May ‘SDO TLE/TVL EPS Evaluation of the submitted documentary requirements and On-Site Validation by the Regional Office August 18-19, 2022 ‘Second week of June Quality Assurance Division (QAD) Regional TLE/TVL EPS. Orientation of school heads with approved intent to implement the program with the partner agencies (DAR, DA, ATI, TESDA) ‘August 26, 2022 Every First week of July ‘SDO/RO TLE/TVL EPSs, Representatives from DAR, DA, ATI, & TESDA) Start of implementation of RSF Program of schools with approved intent November 3, 2022 During the opening of Face- to-Face Classes ‘AFA Teachers, School Heads/Principals Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) ow Telephone Number 145) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph region3@deped.goveh AJA JABRepublic of the Dhilippines Department of Education REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON 9. School with the approved application shall be informed by the QAD personnel/Regional TLE EPS. 10. Rural Farm School Program application shall be approved by the Regional Office and shall be given an endorsement to offer the said program. 11. School Heads with the approved application shall be oriented by the concerned Division/Regional TLE EPS on the implementation of the program, IV. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE CURRICULUM ‘The Regional and Division Offices, through the RFS focal persons, shall conduct regular Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) on the implementation of the Rural Farm School Program to determine the actual utilization of the curriculum. The M&S seeks feedback and recommendations from the field for the continuous improvement of the RFS Program implementation. V. REFERENCES Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 10618, also known as “Rural Farm Schools”. 3 September 2013 Department of Science and Technology. Food and Nutrition Institute. Rapid Nutrition and Assessment Survey on Food Security, Coping Mechanisms, and Nutrition services availed during the COVID-19 Pandemic in selected areas in the Philippines. 2020 DepEd Order 21, s. 2019 (Policy Guidelines on the K to 12 Basic Education Program) DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2015 (Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA. 10618) FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2021. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021. Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition, and affordable healthy diets for all. Rome, FAQ. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4474en Quarterly Assessment of RFS Learners (DO 31 s. 2021) Republic Act No. 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013) ‘Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) oo Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.sh AJA AB etc AITRepublic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON Enclosure No. 1 to Regional Memorandum No. __, s. 2022 Rural Farm School Program Processing Checklist DepEDRS-CLMD-STE-OO1 (Created/Revised 06/07/17) | "Version No. “Rev. No 1 o PROCESSING CHECKLIST FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL FARM SCHOOL | (2; Matalino St. D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, 2 City of San Fernando (P} D DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION Ill REGIONAL INITIATIVE School: Division: School Address: Contact Number; Name of School Head: Major: Designatio: Email Address: School Year: 1. Letter of Intent 2. Rationale of the Program Adoption/Implementation 2.1 The content should have a strong argument as to how the school can be able to contribute to the success of the program implementation. 3. Teachers Profile (should be in tabular format) 3.1. Specialization 3.2. Number of years teaching AFA ___ 3.2.1. Agri- crop production 3.2.2. Fishery Arts 3.2.3. Animal Production/husbandry 3.2.4. Fish/food processing ____3.3. Number of NC holders. ____3.4, Number of TM holders 4. The school must have the following: _ Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, ity of San Fernando (P) 4 Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph iaRepublic of the Dbilipvines Department of Exucation REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON 4.1. The school must have at least one half (1/2) Hectare of laboratory farm. ____4.1.1. Owned by the school 4.1.2. With MOA 4.2. Must have basic garden tools in Agri-crop production. _____4.3. Have an existing learning materials in Agi-fishery Arts ‘Specializations. (Provide list of the existing materials certified correct by the school head/principal) _____5. School has a nearby potential partners: (Provide list of potential partners certified correct by the school head/ principal) 5.1. Agricultural business/sector __ 5.2. Animal business/sector 5.2.1. Poultry farm 2. Piggery farm ____5.2.3. Fishpond / Aquaculture business Findings: Recommendations: Processed by: Noted: TLE/TVL Focal Person CLMD Chief Date Date Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P) oo Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ch AJA ABRepublic af the Philippines Department of Education REGION II-CENTRAL LUZON IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RURAL FARM SCHOOLS I. RATIONALE According to data presented in the State of Food Security in the World Report (2021) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines has the greatest number of food insecure people from 2018-2020, with about 50.4 million people suffcring from moderate to severe food insecurity (State of Food Security in the World Report, pg. 173). Moreover, during the onset of the COVID-2019 pandemic, the Food and Nutrition Institute (FNRI) conducted a Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey on Food Security, Coping Mechanisms, and Nutrition Services availed during COVID-19 pandemic in selected areas in the country. One of the key findings is that for surveyed households, 62.1% of respondents experienced moderate or severe food insecurity (FNRI, 2020) As part of the country’s efforts to provide quality education to all citizens and promote sustainable agricultural productivity in the country, the Republic Act (RA) No. 10618 was approved on September 3, 2013 (Congress of the Philippines, 2013). This Republic Act is also known as the Rural Farm Schools Act. In the RA, rural farm schools are defined as “a parallel learning system and an alternative delivery mode of secondary education that provides for facilitative and experiential learning on the core subjects of the secondary education curriculum with a focus on Agri-fisheries, designed to address the needs of children in rural, agricultural, or fishing communities. (Congress of the Philippines, 2013, p. 2). In Region IL, the goal of establishing rural farm schools is aligned with the goals of RA 10618, that is, to equip learners with agricultural skills and develop sustainable farming. At the same time, another goal of establishing rural farm schools in the region is to help curb issues of food insecurity. With the current situation in the implementation of Agri-fishery Arts in the region, there is a decreasing trend in enrolment based on the results of the monitoring conducted, due to the perception and experiences of learners’ parents on the low profitability and return-of-investment in agriculture. ‘The Rural Farm School Program can help change the negative impressions of farming and agriculture through the concept “Earning while on Training.” Implementing this program in the region will also help train human capital and develop a new breed of farmers that can contribute to solving food insecurity in the country. Insufficient supply of food and agricultural commodities is a factor in the increasing market prices of basic goods which are being experienced today. Address: Matalno St, .M. Government Center, Malmpls, Cty ofSan Fermando(p) | a ‘Telephone Number: (045) 598-8580 to 89; Email Address: region3@deped.gov.ph AJA /AB Ceca a NA 7