Villar says food-related ventures have thrived during pandemic

Food-related ventures, which thrived during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, have been helping in the sustenance of many Filipinos, who were rendered jobless due to the global health crisis, according to Senator Cynthia A. Villar on the occasion of the Seventh Food Festival and Urban Gardening Competition in Las Pinas.

She congratulated the winners in the twin competitions who got their corresponding cash prizes.

Quarantine cooking increases during the pandemic

Villar noted that many Filipinos, who lost their jobs, especially those in the tourism and travel industry, embarked on online business related to foods and urban gardening while on quarantine or lockdown.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, said many Filipinos have turned food sellers, using all forms of social media platform to sell their products. She stressed many have learned to cook and bake while others have honed their cooking skills.

She said the so-called "quarantreats” or foods oftentimes prepared by Filipinos became popular. "We have the Dalgona coffee and the ube-cheese pandesal, among others," she said.

Due to this, she said Filipinos have been earning money even on quarantine and lockdown that help provide for their daily expenses despite losing their jobs.

Urban Gardening trends during lockdown

Another popular activity in this time of crisis, Villar said, is urban gardening or farming wherein people plant vegetables even in small spaces due to limited supply and access to food.

"Even before the pandemic, I have been promoting vegetable gardening," said Villar. At the start, some netizens put negative sight as she gave out seedlings or vegetable seeds to encourage residents to plant their own vegetables.

"Some people were saying that what they need are food and money and that they have no time to plant and wait for the harvest," recalled the senator.

And yet, Villar pointed out that in the latter part of the pandemic, many Filipinos appreciated the value, wisdom and convenience of growing their own food in the comfort of their homes.

"And every organization has jumped into the urban gardening bandwagon. Ang vegetable ay cash crop, sa 1 1/2 buwan ay maka harvest na. Lahat halos ngayon ay namimigay na ng mga seeds," happily noted Villar, adding that growing one’s food is really a sustainable solution.

Acknowledging the popularity of community pantries nowadays, Villar said these could be complemented by community gardens, which are more sustainable and cost-effective in the long run.

More than anything, she asserted that urban gardening or farming will solve food poverty since it provides easy access to food for every household.

" It's already a bonus that it can also be a source of livelihood. Urban dwellers like us should be more food self-sufficient by growing our own food. As more and more of us become more food self-sufficient, hunger and food poverty will be solved also. That is the ultimate goal. So, let’s keep on planting and growing our own food," she added.

"And we here in Las Pinas have already been practicing it. The participants here (festival and competitions) are the best examples how a community-based garden can provide food to residents," Villar said.

COOKING COMPETITION