CALASIAO, Pangasinan – Buenlag National High School (BNHS) 4H Bahay Kubo through the "Farm to School Movement Towards Food Sustainability" Project, was awarded as one of the national winners for the 17th Ten Accomplished Youth Organization (TAYO) in the Philippines last February 13, 2020 at the Senate of the Philippines Building, Pasay City.
BNHS also won 1st Place in the TAYO Sprint Video Challenge with its entry entitled, “Bahay Kubo”. They also received a Special Citation for Agri-Enterprise Development, the “Kilos Ko Award”, bestowed by Senator Kiko Pangilinan, and Smart Communications Award given by the Smart Communication, Inc..
These awards were made possible through the support of BNHS, Municipal Agriculture Office of the Local Government Unit of Calasiao, and Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center I (ATI-RTC I).
BNHS is part of the 4-H Club Pinablin Calasiao, composed of schools and barangays in Calasiao, Pangasinan. To date, there are almost 500 4-H registered members of the club that include BNHS, Doyong Malabago National High School, Calasiao Comprehensive National High School, and ten (10) more barangays.
The 4-H Club Pinablin Calasiao targeted school children as its members to help them develop understanding of the importance of agriculture. The club upholds “sustainability in agriculture” as their principle by promoting agripreneurship (agriculture + entrepreneurship) among the schoolchildren.
With this principle, BNHS 4-H Club discovered an eggplant burger recipe, a potential income-generating project wherein its proceeds go to the feeding of malnourished students in their school.
“Harvested vegetables are being sold to the parents and teachers. The profit is used for feeding undernourished students as an extension service of the school,” BNHS Principal I Gilbert Gabiola said.
“Kahit na ang magsasaka ang nag-sustain ng ating pang-araw-araw na kinakain, napakasakit isipin na ang iba sa atin ay mababa pa rin ang tingin sa kanila, tingin na kulang sa tiyaga kaya sila mahirap. Mula sa agripreneurship, matutunan ng mga kabataang magsasaka na ang katumbas ng kanilang hirap ay may masaganang kita,” Mr. Gerald Quinit, Federated President of 4H Calasiao, said.
Mr. Quinit also encouraged everyone to instill agriculture in the minds of the youth and embrace it as a noble profession.