Baguio Farm School Leads The Way To Healthier Eating In Asia

A first for the Philippines, the Happy Hollow National High School is recognized at the annual APAC-wide AIA Healthiest Schools Competition.

- By Andrea Panaligan

In a roadside pho joint around 1,400 kilometers from Manila, Aries Busacay tells me about her students' mustasa chips. The 32-year-old instructor teaches at Happy Hollow National High School, a second home to 168 students tucked away in Baguio's mountains. The mustasa chips were a small part of Project ORGANIC (Offering Resources of Growing Agri-product and Nutrition in Community), developed by senior high school students Jaryll Jake C. Solimen, Jake L. Concepcion, Lavigne B. Dayog, and Lexa G. Sianen under Busacay's guidance. The teacher nicknames it "Project O" in her stories.

The following evening, Project O was given the Healthy Eating Award at the third annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition awarding ceremony held in Da Nang, Vietnam. The 2024-2025 competition drew a record number of entries from schools across eight nations in the Asia-Pacific—this is the Philippines' first year participating, and our first win. The moment Busacay got off the stage, trophy in hand, she updated her students via their Messenger group chat.

Raising A Healthier Generation The AIA Healthiest Schools Competition encourages primary and secondary schools across the Asia-Pacific region to develop innovative programs that promote healthy eating, active living, mental well-being, and sustainability among their student body.

This year's installment honors an overall regional winner, which takes home a $40,000 cash prize. Four categories are also introduced: Health and Sustainability, Mental Well-being, Active Lifestyles, and Healthy Eating, each awarded a $15,000 prize.