The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged the public to start engaging in backyard farming to ease the adverse effects of spikes in the price of petroleum products.
In a statement, the DILG said hat community gardens are now operational across the country to help communities improve food access and reduce household spending as global tensions, particularly in the Middle East, continue to affect fuel and food prices.
It is referring to its alina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay (HAPAG) Sa Barangay gardens which was launched in 2023, to promote backyard gardening and shared community spaces to grow fresh produce, strengthening food security at the grassroots level.
The DILG asserted that surplus harvests from these gardens can serve as a “natural price stabilizer,” as produce is either consumed directly or sold at significantly lower costs within communities.
In 2025 alone, the DILG lamented that HAPAG initiatives contributed an estimated P12 million in earnings for participating communities.
The DILG also reported a significant increase in policy support for urban gardening.
As of latest monitoring, 36,979 ordinances have been enacted nationwide to institutionalize community gardens, up from 24,238 in the first semester of the previous year.