A Baguio-based farm school beat 15 other schools from Australia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to win the “Healthiest School Award,” according to the Department of Education (DepEd).
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Happy Hollow National High School won the award for its organic farming initiative dubbed “Project O.R.G.A.N.I.C or Offering Resources of Growing Agri-Product and Nutrition in Community) and other food security projects it started when it became a DepEd farm school last year.
Angara said the school received the AIA Outstanding Healthy Eating Award 2025 with a prize money amounting to $15,000 or equivalent to P840,000.
The winning initiative, according to Angara, focuses on healthy eating, organic agriculture, and waste reduction while training students to produce organic farm products.
Under the project, 168 Grade 12 learners were trained in organic agriculture production using organic methods and recycled materials.
The 168 students were also trained to impart their knowledge to lower grade learners, assisted by nutritionists, barangay officials and their parents, with particular emphasis on backyard gardening, feeding programs using locally grown vegetables, workshops on planting and harvesting, as well as sustainable meal planning.
“This Project O.R.G.A.N.I.C showed that when schools, parents and communities work together, they can do wonders to strengthen traditional agriculture while ensuring the health and future of our youth,” Angara said.
“This is an inspiration to our goals of ensuring that our schools are partners in the implementation of the food security agenda of President Marcos,” he added.
The concept of farm schools was initiated by Angara’s father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, through Republic Act No. 10618 or the Rural Farm Schools Act.
At present, the DepEd said there are 156 farm schools in eight regions in the country that provide training and knowledge on agriculture, technical skills, and entrepreneurship education.
The search for the AIA Healthiest Schools Competition is in its third year and is a flagship initiative of the AIA Healthiest Schools Programme started by AIA Group Limited.
“The AIA Healthiest Schools Competition is about recognizing outstanding projects and sparking movements that create a positive impact reaching far beyond the classroom. This program is a powerful manifestation of our purpose of helping people live healthier, longer, better lives,” Stuart Spencer, AIA Group chief marketing officer, said in a statement posted on their website.
