ILIGAN CITY (PIA)–Iligan City National High School (ICNHS) warmly embraced the Smart Hydroponic Farming System with the inaugural lettuce harvest on September 25.
The Maxwell and Einstein (Maxtein) Alumni Batch 1997 of ICNHS turned over the extension project to the school after its groundbreaking ceremony in July this year.
This project is in cooperation with Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) and the electronics engineering professionals and practitioners from the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines-Iligan Bay Chapter (IECEP-IBC).
Principal Zosimo Gomez of ICNHS expressed gratitude on behalf of the school’s staff and students and praised Batch ’97 for their unwavering commitment to the school.
The project will enable students in the science curriculum as well as those pursuing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) track to enhance their research capabilities in agricultural methods.
Principal Zosimo Gomez (center left) and Jefferson Hora, head of the Hydroponics Extension Project and Maxtein ’97 representative (center right) lead the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Smart Hydroponic Farming System at Iligan City National High School. (ADD/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
Meanwhile, Jefferson Hora, head of the Hydroponics Extension Project and Maxtein ’97 representative, emphasized the significance of Batch ’97 hosting this initiative as a way to give back to their alma mater. He also highlighted that the project goes beyond lettuce production, incorporating automation and plans to train science teachers for improved crop yields.
“I would like to inspire all the graduating students of ICNHS, hoping that you will be inspired by this kind of project. It is not just about lettuce production; this is something equipped with automation, and we are also going to train science teachers to help in the yield of these particular crops,” he said.
He added that they hope to potentially grow strawberries and other high-value crops and emphasized that the project is not just a scientific endeavor but also an economic one, with an expected monthly income.
On the other hand, Jonathan dela Peña, the Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) – Iligan, praised the commitment of Maxtein to giving back to ICNHS, referring to them as legends who exemplify the school’s success in producing productive citizens.
Moreover, Mayor Frederick Siao proposed allocating a budget from the Local School Board to extend the initiative to other schools and communities, aiming to identify schools initially to teach students and teachers.
Dr. Rosario Reserva, director of the WE CARE Office at MSU-IIT, also assured continued support for replicating similar initiatives in other schools and communities within the city. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
