On December 16, 2024, a group of Hospitality students from Mabalacat City College, led by Gillian Castillo, Kenlie Shane Ematong, Arshyend Mercado, and Lalaine Regala, successfully proposed the creation of a vegetable garden for Lola Nors Restaurant, located in Mabalacat City. The initiative, aimed at contributing to sustainable practices in the restaurant industry, emerged after the students conducted a series of immersive studies and assessments at the restaurant to identify sustainability challenges.
During their research, the students discovered that the restaurant had a large, unused plot of land that could be put to more purposeful use. They also noted that the restaurant's menu featured several vegetable-based dishes, including those that used tomatoes, eggplant, and chili peppers. However, the restaurant currently sourced these vegetables from a marketplace located about 10.1 kilometers away, contributing to a significant carbon footprint due to transportation.
In response, the students proposed a sustainability project titled “From the Garden to the Plate: Savoring the Local Flavor of Sustainability at Lola Nors”. The project aimed to reduce the restaurant’s carbon footprint by growing these vegetables on-site, promoting local sourcing, and providing fresher ingredients. The proposal was presented to the restaurant manager, who enthusiastically accepted the idea and expressed a commitment to expanding and sustaining the initiative in the future.
The successful implementation of this project is a direct result of the students' work in the Contemporary World course, which included a Research and Action-Based (RAB) Assessment. Through this hands-on approach, the students learned how to identify real-world problems and develop practical solutions that can make a meaningful impact in the hospitality and foodservice sectors.
The vegetable garden project not only aligns with sustainability goals but also reinforces the importance of local sourcing, environmental responsibility, and the role of hospitality students in shaping a more sustainable future for the industry.
