The Graduate School of the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) conducted a soil health capacity-building activity for elementary school teachers of the Department of Education (DepEd) Pili District, on April 24, 2026, at the CBSUA Agri-Ville Learning Hub.
Carrying the theme “Understanding Soil Health: Building Capacity in Soil Sampling Techniques, Assessment, and Nutrient Management for Sustainable Agriculture,” the activity aimed to strengthen teachers’ technical knowledge and practical skills in managing school gardens and improving soil productivity.
The activity was organized by graduate students from the MS Plant Science and MS Agricultural Education programs, led by Prof. Lorena F. Hernandez, with elementary school teachers from DepEd–Pili District who are actively implementing the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program in their respective schools as participants.
Members of the Soil Science Society introduced participants to the concepts of soil formation, soil composition, composting practices, and sustainable agriculture during a guided tour of the Soil Science Discovery Park (SSDP), where these concepts were demonstrated across the park’s learning stations.
Technical sessions were delivered by representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA). Mr. Eugene Boongaling of the DA–Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) discussed soil health fundamentals, nutrient management, and proper soil sampling procedures for laboratory testing, highlighting soil testing as a practical and cost-effective tool for garden management. Ms. Tara Christina Machica of DA Regional Field Office 5 presented Site-Specific Nutrient Management (SSNM), explaining how fertilizer application can be aligned with soil test results, crop requirements, and target yield to improve productivity while preventing excessive input use.
As part of the activity, each participating school received a set of garden tools and a Soil Test Kit (STK) through the support of the DA-RFO 5 High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and DA-BSWM, enabling teachers to apply soil assessment techniques in their school gardens.
The initiative reflects CBSUA’s role in extending technical expertise to basic education institutions and strengthening collaboration among the universities, national agencies, and local schools in promoting sustainable agriculture practices. | 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘚 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘔𝘚 𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
