Enhancing School-based Food Production Initiatives to Scaffold School Feeding Program

The school has been aiming for the holistic development of every learner. Developing the domains, which include the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor, through various education and health interventions proves that the school has been fulfilling its role for every learner. Meanwhile, the acquisition process of holistic development of the educational domains becomes highly attainable if nourishing the physiological needs of the learner, particularly the health and nutritional needs, are given preferential attention. Thus, this study looked at the school's journey in supporting one of the thrusts of the Department of Education, which is achieving holistic development of learners through a school-based feeding program. This study applied the mixed methods research process. The quantitative research approach was employed in identifying the school-based food production initiatives implemented by the M. Guarina Elementary School, in determining the extent of implementation of the identified initiatives, and in recognizing the challenges encountered in the implementation of the school-based food production initiatives. Meanwhile, the qualitative approach was utilized to find out how the school-based food production initiatives enhance the school-based feeding program. The data provided by the research participants, as well as through content analysis, yielded the identification of the six (6) school-based food production initiatives. They were rice field cultivation, vegetable production, banana production, root crop production, greenhouse, and organic fertilizer making. These identified initiatives were all implemented to a high extent, which is reflective of the apparent and noticeable existence of the interventions. The presence of these initiatives aided the school- based feeding program by augmenting food supplies and sources, improving the nutritional quality of meals, enhancing collaboration among stakeholders, improving dietary choices, and mitigating nutritional issues. Despite the observed benefits of the school-based food production initiatives that scaffold school-based feeding program implementation, the implementers were challenged by the limited time intended for agriculture activities, insufficient knowledge on crop production, limited source of seedlings, lack of budget, and the limited production site. Such propelled the researcher to propose a school-based food production sustainability plan to enhance the school feeding program, anchoring it on the essence of partnership with the stakeholders.