Sum-ag Farm School gets recognition; First 40 enrollees to get tablet

Following its establishment in April this year, the Sum-ag Farm School has earned its government recognition from the Department of Education-Region 6 last June 21, 2021, signed by DepEd Region 6 Director Dr. Ramir B. Uytico, CESO IV.

The award granted Sum-ag Farm School to implement activity under Republic Act 10618 or Rural Farm Schools Act came into law in 2013, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) stipulated in DepEd Order No. 36 series of 2015.

Its establishment will help the government promote sustainable agricultural productivity and rural development by empowering the human capital in the countryside through access to avenues of learning suited to the needs and realities of the rural agricultural communities.

It will also provide a parallel learning system and an Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) of secondary education starting in Grade 7 of the Junior High School within the confines of the formal system to deliver education to marginalized learners and those who are at risk of dropping out for them to overcome personal, social and economic challenges in their schooling.

OIC-Division Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales, CESO VI, congratulated Sum-ag National High School for giving birth to Sum-ag Farm School. “Thank you so much to the ‘heads, hearts and hands’ who helped in the crafting of the farm school curriculum as guided by our ever creative and supportive Regional Director Ramir B. Uytico, and the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD)-RO 6 Dr. Elena P. Gonzaga,” she said.

OIC-Supt. Sales also lauded Curriculum Implementation Division (CID) Chief Education Supervisor Dr. Janalyn Navarro, OIC-Education Program Supervisor Lorelee Dedoroy, OIC-Principal Veneranda Ortono, Principal IV Warlito Rosareal, SNHS-TLE Department Head Clara Tigallo, and the rest of the Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) and Technical- Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Agricultural Arts teachers of Sum-ag NHS (SNHS) and Alangilan NHS. “Thank God for this noteworthy curricular undertaking, ensuring food production and supply from farm schools/home farms to family tables,” she stressed.

On his part, Rosareal, SNHS principal, expressed his heartfelt gratitude and commendation to the TLE and Technical-Vocational Education (TechVoc) teachers led by Tigallo. “I also would like to thank the Regional Office and Schools Division of Bacolod City officials for granting and approving the permit of Sum-ag Farm School. It inspires us to work smarter to deliver the best to our farm school learners,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tigallo also thanked OIC-Supt. Sales for the support she has given to the farm school. “Their support inspires us to work harder for the good of our school, division, and the region, and specifically to the learners,” she said.

On the other hand, the Sum-ag Farm School enrollment is ongoing for Grade 7 students wherein the first 40 enrollees get a tablet each.* (Jerome S. Galunan Jr.)