Jardin de FVS and Planting Service

Jardin de FVS and Planting Service goes beyond Education to support Agriculture

02/26/2025 - 17:40

The Feliz Academy Inc.’s Federico Villarin Santiago Center for Research and Sustainable Agriculture (FAI’s FVSCRSA) managed by Mr. Vladimir Mohammad Meriales, has established the Jardin de FVS and Planting Service and it was certified by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) as a Learning Site for Agriculture (LSA II) on February 7, 2025. Located in Zone 7, San Blas, Villasis, Pangasinan, the FAI’s FVSCRSA is dedicated to cultivating a passion for agricultural sciences and farming among the youth. Its mission is to develop scientific, technological, and moral capabilities that enable young people to contribute meaningfully to the creation, application, and dissemination of agricultural knowledge, aligning with their real-world needs. It envisions a future where food systems are resilient, communities are self-sustaining, and the youth are empowered to become agricultural and fisheries leaders.

With only 2,699 square meter land area, the Learning Site is equipped with facilities such as agriculture laboratories, classrooms, urban garden areas, lodging, a restaurant, training halls, a nursery, and an urban garden area. These resources allow the site to provide hands-on learning experience in various agricultural practices which include catfish growing, vegetable gardening using different technologies (such as square-foot garden, plot-type, container, and vertical gardening), organic fertilizer production (especially vermiculture and carbonized rice hull), and free-range chicken production. The learning site also experiments the use of banana and madre de agua plants to generate innovative agricultural techniques.

Being an LSA II, they have established an expansion site in Casa Amarillo, Rosales, Pangasinan that features rows of fruit-bearing trees and vibrant vegetable gardens, offering a perfect blend of nature and education. Among its notable accomplishments is the development of an aquaponics system, which integrates fish farming with hydroponics to create a sustainable, closed-loop agricultural ecosystem.

The academy goes beyond classroom learning by actively engaging with the local farming community. It organizes workshops, seminars, and hands-on training sessions to share knowledge and best practices in agriculture.

Through the efforts of FAI’s FVSCRSA, the Jardin de FVS and Planting Service won the 2024 Regional Search for the Best Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Garden under Category A: Microgardens and a contender of the national level competition organized by ATI. Indeed, the farm continue to make a meaningful impact on both the education of the youth and the local agricultural community, contributing to the sustainable development of agriculture in the region.