Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) recently distributed more than a hundred Plant Smart kits to partner schools and barangays in Mindanao, bolstering local efforts to provide healthy, sustainable food for all. This initiative aims to remind teachers, students, and residents that healthy meals can be affordable and available, through the Gulayan sa Paaralan and community gardens.

Several schools in Davao City, Misamis Oriental, and Bukidnon were recipients of the planting kits, along with a Higaonon IP community in Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City, and Brgy. Tugbunagan in Zamboanga City.

“Valencia National High School is deeply grateful to Smart for its unwavering support of the Gulayan sa Paaralan program. Despite the challenges of an urban setting, Smart’s provision of seeds, technical guidance, and gardening inputs has helped us sustain green spaces and provide organic produce for our school feeding program. We thank Smart for being a dedicated stakeholder in our journey toward healthier minds and a greener community,” shared Janet Ruizol, head teacher at Valencia National High School, Bukidnon.

Each kit—equipped with easy-to-grow vegetable seeds, loam soil, and organic fertilizers—serves as a vital resource for boosting local food security, addressing malnutrition, and empowering communities with the essential tools for self-sufficiency and resilience.

“This donation is such a huge help for our school. It will help us sustain our Gulayan sa Paaralan, which in turn provides produce used in the school's feeding program” say Raul Cabilohan, Principal II of Sto. Niño National High School in Davao City.

This initiative strengthens the commitment of Smart, and parent firm PLDT, to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG #2: Zero Hunger and SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future for every Filipino.