CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, August 20 – Align with Secretary Dar’s aim towards sustainable food security, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-RFO 10), represented by Regulatory Division Chief Juliet B. Araos turned over assorted vegetable seeds to the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Iligan City.

Receiving 250 packets of chopsuey (pechay, radish, carrots, cauliflower) and 250 packets of garden salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber) seeds on behalf of SP Tamula’s Office, is Kathleen V. Mantalaba, who said, they have a program that advocates the natural way of farming for the benefit of all the Iliganon households in the urban areas.

Eyed to increase agricultural productivity, competitiveness and profitability amidst the country’s fight against the COVID-19 crisis, Office of the City Councilor Rudolph Charles Tamula initiated a program dubbed as ‘Tatak Iliganon’ to provide income generating activity and livelihood through seeds distribution to the Iliganons.

“Nakita namo nga pag start sa COVID-19 daghan na kaayo ganahan mag gardening, mao nag come up mi ani nga program para promotion napod sa food security mao nang gi grab namo ang opportunity nga naay assistance gikan sa DA ug nagpasalamat mi kay paspas ilang response sa among request,” she added.

[We have noticed that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people have gained interest in gardening, so we came up with a program to promote food security. We have also grabbed the opportunity of the assistance from DA, and we are thankful for their immediate response to our request.]

She likewise expressed that they are also promoting Urban Container Gardening to those areas with limited spaces.

Importantly, they encouraged their members into gardening for their daily consumption and to sell surplus of their products to the local market.

The program of the Tatak Iliganon family in the Office of the City Councilor in Iligan has reached more than 3,000 online members up to date.

Of which, they are also conducting weekly monitoring on the growth and development of the plants through photo documentation from their beneficiaries. #(Irish Mae Juntahan)