President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday expressed optimism that the urban agriculture programs being promoted by his administration would help increase sustainable agriculture activities at the barangay level.
The President made this remark in his speech at the launch of the Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas At Gulay, Kadiwa’y Yaman, Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (Hapag Kay PBBM) at the Rizal Park in the City of Manila.
“As this initiative consolidates the programs of these two agencies on urban agriculture, I am confident that we will further increase our capacity to take part in our goal to address poverty, ensure food security, and protect the environment even at the barangay level,” the President said in a speech.
“With the fusion of these two programs, I am certain we will be able to quickly and effectively promote urban agriculture in the entire country and to foster greater ties among residents at the barangay level,” the President pointed out.
The chief executive assured Filipinos that the government “remains committed to providing our people with access to fresh, nutritious food at an affordable cost.”
The Hapag Kay PBBM merges two programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The DA’s Green Revolution 2.0: Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement, according to the chief executive, aims to increase local production of fruits and vegetables by turning urban, peri-urban, and rural areas into patches of green, edible landscapes.
“Ngayon na nahaharap tayo sa problema ulit ng food supply at ng presyo ng pagkain ay ibinuhay natin ulit ang Green Revolution para naman maging sapat ang supply para sa ating mga kababayan, ang gulay at saka ng prutas,” said the President, who is also DA secretary.
“And this program encourages our people to grow their own food and other kitchen ingredients close to home, which improves access to affordable, safe, nutritious meals every day,” President Marcos pointed out.
The other initiative is the DILG’s Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay Movement, which seeks to build community gardens in every barangay to diversify food sources and to contribute to food security within each neighborhood.
“‘Yun naman po sa DILG ay hindi lamang doon sa pag-aari na lupa ng bawat isang pamilya o isang indibidwal, kung hindi maghahanap po ng lupa para sa buong barangay na doon sila magtatanim at ang bawat isa ay siyempre mayroon silang sarili at pagsasama parang maliit na cooperative para ipagsasama-sama lahat ng kanilang supply, kani-kanilang share, ‘yan po ang DILG program,” the President said.
According to Marcos, the challenges of food shortages and price hikes serve as an opportunity to “rethink our supply systems.”
“This is a good beginning but we must continuously come up with more innovative solutions to address hunger and make nutritious food available to every Filipino,” the President said.
President Marcos also urged Filipinos to support this program “so that we can help our communities recover from rising prices, the impact of calamities, and the other threats to food security.” (PND)
