Iloilo City:Farm schools in Western Visayas are actively developing locally sourced agricultural products through the Department of Education's (DepEd) One Farm School, One Product (OFSOP) initiative. This program aims to equip students with essential farming and entrepreneurship skills.
According to Philippines News Agency, Education Program Supervisor April Velez, who serves as the DepEd regional farm school focal person, explained that the OFSOP initiative is modeled after the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) One Town, One Product program. The initiative requires farm schools to focus on a single product, producing it in large quantities and creating additional by-products to teach students how to become agripreneurs.
Currently, Western Visayas hosts 11 farm schools distributed across various locations, including Aklan, Iloilo province, Capiz, Antique, Guimaras, Passi City, Roxas City, and Iloilo City. The initiative, launched in the third week of October, includes training conducted in collaboration with the DTI's Be Your Own Boss Youth Entrepreneurship Program.
The initial products from these farm schools were displayed during the Literacy and Numeracy Expo. Velez mentioned that these were preliminary products, and there are plans for further development as students engage in research to explore additional by-products beyond food items.
Some of the featured products include oysters and chili in Aklan, chayote and chives in Antique, native rice coffee and catfish in Capiz, papaya in Guimaras, mushrooms in Iloilo City, bananas and native chicken in Iloilo province, pineapple in Passi City, and squash in Roxas City.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, who visited the exhibit, emphasized that the initiative could enhance local food production, especially in light of the potential challenges posed by El Niño. Angara highlighted the special support funding available to farm schools under the department's programs, which empowers students in Western Visayas to propose their own projects and showcase their entrepreneurial skills.
