The Department of Agriculture (DA) launched May 31/Wednesday the Urban Agriculture-Pagkain Para sa Masa with the formal opening of a community vegetable garden in Barangay Bahay Toro in Quezon City to serve the local community with fresh produce.
With the theme “Sa Maliit na Espasyo, May Pagkain Tayo,” DA officials joined Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte in opening the Bahay Toro communal vegetable garden beside the barangay’s covered court.
DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Ranibai Dilangalen, in charge of the DA’s Urban Agriculture-Pagkain Para sa Masa program, Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan, Undersecretary for Administration, Agribusiness and Marketing and Regional Engagement Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Undersecretary for High Value Crops and Rural Credit Evelyn Laviña, Aboitiz Equity Ventures FVP for Government & External Relations David Jude Sta. Ana, and Vice Mayor Belmonte and other Quezon City officials signed a Memorandum of Agreement formally designating the Bahay Toro communal vegetable garden as pilot area for the urban gardening program.
Dilangalen said urban residents should start growing their own food to ensure they eat safe and fresh produce aside from saving money.
Aside from vegetables, the DA also offers assistance to communities in engaging in mushroom culture, hydroponics and aquaponics.
“Urban gardening is easy. It also doesn’t require a big land area to start with,” Dilangalen noted.
Vice Mayor Belmonte said there are 166 urban farmers in her jurisdiction but they plan to expand the number of urban gardens in Quezon City. She also expressed her gratitude to DA for the support in providing farm implements, training, and updating them with the latest techniques in farming.
The DA is eyeing 30 sites in Metro Manila alone. Other components of the program are container garden, mushroom culture, hydroponics/aquaponics, and feeding program. ### (Carlos Cezar Baldosa, DA-AFID)
Reference:
Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns
Contact No. 02-9204068
Photo caption: Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretaries Ariel Cayanan, Ranibai Dilangalen, Evelyn Laviña and Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, together with Quezon City Vice Mayor Josefina Belmonte, Aboitiz Equity Ventures FVP for Government & External Relations David Jude Sta. Ana, and other local government officials launch the DA’s Urban Agriculture program in Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City as part of the National Government’s efforts to encourage urban residents to start growing their own food to boost food production in the country. (Photo by Alarico Nuestro, DA-AFID)
