Thank you very much, Secretary Benhur Abalos for your introduction. [Please take your seats]

Agriculture Senior Usec. Domingo F. Panganiban; the Bureau of Plant Industry Director Glenn Panganiban; the honorable members of the House of Representatives and the other LGU chief executives who are here today; the City of Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto; local government officials; fellow workers in government; other distinguished guests who are here with us this morning, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

I am very happy to be with you today as we launch the Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay Kadiwa’y Yaman Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement.

And of course, it is the  Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior and Local Government in partnership that has launched and implemented this very timely and necessary endeavor.

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.

I am thankful for the preparations that you have made not only in setting up this activity, but also in committing to sustain the success of the whole program, not only for now, but in the coming years.

And the witty abbreviation for easy name recall is also noteworthy, as it signifies this administration’s sincerity and resolve to address the issues of food prices and food supply.

The HAPAG KAY PBBM merges two programs of the DA and the DILG. One is the DA’s Green Revolution 2.0: Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement, which aims to increase local production of fruits and vegetables by turning urban, peri-urban, and rural areas into patches of green edible landscapes.

Kaya po ang tawag dito is Green Revolution 2.0 dahil ang unang Green Revolution ay noong nakaraang — noong 1970s, noong nagkaroon tayo ng napakalaking drought at ganito rin, naging problema ang supply ng ating mga gulay, ating mga prutas at nag-launch ang pamahalaan ng tinatawag na Green Revolution.

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.

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.

To complement this, the DILG is implementing the Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay Movement, which aims to build community gardens in every barangay to diversify food sources and to contribute to food security within each neighborhood.

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.

‘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 challenges of food shortages and price hikes serve as an opportunity to rethink our supply systems.
I’m grateful that these two agencies have taken on the challenge and have found innovative solutions through the HAPAG KAY PBBM. 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.

Also, there is the key role of barangays as they are the essential partners in the national government in this endeavor. Given their awareness of the needs of their constituents, they are well-positioned to find and implement solutions that best fit their context, their conditions, and their circumstances.

This program is yet another step towards strengthening the capacity of barangays to adopt sustainable agriculture initiatives, even in the small scale.

I would also like to ask the Filipino people 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.

With your cooperation, we will not only make this endeavor work but it will help you, your communities, and our country overcome present and future challenges.

As your President and the Secretary of Agriculture, I assure you that your government will continue to provide support to local government units to enforce this program.

Rest assured that this government remains committed to providing our people with access to fresh, nutritious food at an affordable cost.

Given the interactive programs on food security and community building, we will certainly emerge victorious, bring forth a better, more bountiful, and food-secure future for all Filipinos.

Good luck to us all for the opening of this program and the launching of this program not only here in Manila but in all parts of our country to assist and to help in the food supply and to keep the prices of agricultural commodities down and affordable to all our people.

Maraming salamat, at masaganang HAPAG KAY PBBM sa inyong lahat!Magandang umaga po. [applause]

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