Organic Gardening Program at AUP’s Partner Community: Impact Study

Abstract

The study determined the increase of income and the other benefits of the Organic Gardening Program (OGP) initiated by the Community Extension Services Center (CESC) of the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP). Monitoring form and interviews were used to collect the data from 15 families who were purposively selected among the 44 participants of OGP at Barangay Hoyo, the partner community of AUP in Silang, Cavite. The results show that the average weekly income of the participants from OGP was PhP170 or about PhP680 per month as reflected in the monitoring forms given to the participants at the onset of the five-month program. The highest weekly income from the OGP was PhP600 per week which is around PhP2,400. This family has also the highest gross monthly income and has only five family members. Five families got the lowest weekly income from OGP, PhP50 per week. From the interview data, the participants reported that OGP increased their income thus it has improved their economic status and it became a source of fresh and healthy food thus it alleviates food scarcity and malnutrition. The other benefits the participants obtained from organic gardening program included the following themes: stress relief and source of joy, improved social relations through giving, and health benefits. Thus, OGP positively impacted the economic, health, and social status of the participating families in the community of Hoyo. It is recommended that more families should be encouraged to join in OGP and more varieties of seeds should be provided by the municipality of Silang in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture to alleviate food scarcity, poverty, and malnutrition.