ABSTRACT
Gulayan sa Paaralan is designed as a greenhouse aquaponics system aimed to provide students and stakeholders with training on establishing a sustainable source of produce. This study employs a qualitative phenomenological research and case study. This sought to determine the sustainability of the project for selected high school students in Masaya Integrated National High School for the School Year 2022-2023. Specifically, it answers the following questions: (1) Do you have to take part in garden activities at school to help it grow? (2.) Would you be willing to actively participate in garden maintenance and activities in the future? (3.) Are vegetables constantly provided for the feeding program by Gulayan sa Paaralan? (4.) Does school provide different kinds of vegetable seeds in the Gulayan sa Paaralan? (5.) Does canteen's entire menu contain items sourced from Gulayan sa Paaralan? (6.) Are meals provided in the school feeding program nutritious and well-balanced? (7.) Do you believe that feeding program positively contributes to your overall learning experience? (8.) Do you think that Gulayan sa Paaralan helps the school to lessen the expense of buying ingredients for the school canteen? (9.) Are the meals served in the school-based feeding program pleasant to the students? (10.) Does Gulayan sa Paaralan decrease the number of severely wasted and wasted learners' body mass index? Findings revealed that the majority of students expressed willingness to participate in maintaining the garden. The project successfully provided supplies for the school’s feeding program and contributed to the canteen’s menu. Results indicated notable improvements in student nutrition, with most achieving a normal BMI range (18.5 – 24.9). Furthermore, the initiative was found to positively impact malnutrition reduction, promote healthy eating habits, enhance educational outcomes, and foster collaboration among community stakeholders.
Keywords: Gulayan sa paaralan, feeding program, aquaponics, sustainability, accessibility, malnutrition