An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged the officials of the country's over 42,000 barangays to include planting of vegetables in their respective programs to instill in the mind of their respective constituents the value of urban farming.
DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Felicito Valmocina said the spacious barangay halls should provide a garden where vegetables can be planted.
“Urban gardening, nakalagay sa paso, lata, sa kawayan, sa sako, lahat ng recycled materials ay natataniman namin ng gulay at pati yung mga Baguio vegetables ay nabubuhay natin ( we were able to grow vegetables in pots, tin cans, bamboo poles, sacks, all recycled materials and even the Baguio vegetables also grew,’’ Valmocina said.
He then cited his program when he was still barangay captain days in Barangay Holy Spirit in Quezon City as an example.
Valmocina also brushed off the alibis of barangay officials of having no sufficient funds for urban gardening program, saying this is attainable through volunteerism otherwise known as the “Bayanihan’’ spirit.
Further, Valmocina pointed out that the urban gardening program during his time as barangay captain was a huge success even if there was no budget for the purpose insisting that ‘volunteerism’ was a key factor.
“Humingi lang ako ng (donated) construction materials. So ibig sabihin nakakagawa kami. Bayanihan talaga, volunteerism (I just asked for donations of construction materials. It means we were able to succeed. It really is the Bayanihan spirit, volunteerism),’’ he added.
Valmocina also recommended that the public should be encouraged to plant fruit-bearing trees in the city, municipal, barangay, provincial and national roads that will also make it as a tourist attraction. (Chito A. Chavez)