The Department of Education (DEPED) Schools Division of Borongan City, Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), TESDA, and the Local Government Unit of Borongan City are set to establish a new agricultural school.
Superintendent Edgar Tenesas presented the framework for the school during a recent local school board meeting, highlighting opportunities for various agencies to support the city’s flagship program aimed at enhancing the agricultural sector and encouraging youth engagement in farming.
This initiative aligns with Mayor Jose Dayan Agda’s flagship program, DUKWAG AGRIKULTURA, which provides interest-free and collateral-free loans to Borongan residents who engage in agriculture.
The school will serve as a unique model, offering a specialized program for senior high school students focused solely on agricultural tracks. This initiative aligns with Mayor Jose Dayan Agda’s flagship program, DUKWAG AGRIKULTURA, which provides interest-free and collateral-free loans to Borongan residents who engage in agriculture.
ESSU, represented by President Andres Pagatpatan, will ensure that graduates of the agricultural school are automatically accepted into ESSU’s agricultural courses.
Additionally, ESSU will contribute to the curriculum design to ensure alignment with their agricultural programs, facilitating a seamless transition from high school to college.
TESDA Provincial Director Antonio Waniwan will align the programs at the proposed school to prepare graduates for TESDA certifications and explore opportunities to provide student allowances, giving graduates multiple options upon completion.
A major part of the program that will ensure the enrollment of the school is creating a local ordinance that will fund one scholar per barangay, who will be nominated by their respective officials.
Students will be nominated and funded by their respective barangays, becoming agricultural scholars of their communities.
Barangay Captain Mat Amasco of Hindang, President of the City Parents Teachers Association, will relay to the Liga that the counterpart funding for each scholar will be budgeted on a yearly basis. Students will be nominated and funded by their respective barangays, becoming agricultural scholars of their communities.
A unique aspect of the project is the innovative infrastructure design of the school building, which will be suited for actual agricultural processing and preparation. The school infrastructure will be designed for multi-purpose use, supporting extension classes and short courses to sustain the program.
The curriculum will be community-based and adapted to address the specific needs of the locality and the challenges posed by climate change, making it the first school in the region to incorporate such forward-thinking strategies.
City Information Officer Rupert Ambil suggested that students receive college credits from ESSU, allowing them to transition smoothly from high school to college and pursue their agricultural ventures immediately. NGO partner CRS has committed to supporting the school by seeking corporate partners for internship programs and exposure opportunities.
The City Government of Borongan, through Agda, has committed funding and support for this project.
The mayor expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders for their commitment, emphasizing that the school can serve as a model for uplifting the agricultural needs of the town and provinces of the Philippines. The success of this program hinges on the convergence of different sectors of government and the private sector.
