DA-10 supports Liceo’s upcycling and urban gardening initiative in Brgy. Bonbon, CdeO City.

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Through a shared interest in promoting environmental sustainability and community engagement, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), through Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, turned over an assortment of vegetable seeds to the Liceo de Cagayan University in support of the latter’s initiative on upcycling and urban gardening, on May 3, at the agency compound, in this city.

Funded under the DA’s High Value Crops Development Program, some 30 packets of vegetable (Pinakbet) seeds were turned over by Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project Deputy Director Joel S. Rudinas to Jamaela Danielle L. Bulajao, a student-representative of the university’s Pharmacy program.

According to Bulajao, the seeds are supplemental to their student-organized community project dubbed, ‘Waste-Wise Warriors: A Community Seminar-Workshop on Understanding Beach Pollution and Microplastics’ Impact on Ocean Life and Health’ which aims to apprise the local community in Barangay Bonbon on sustainable measures to reduce plastic usage.

One of which, Bulajao said, is the repurposing of large-capacity water bottles as planting pots for use in small-scale and backyard gardening setups.

“Through our workshop segment [PlastiCraft], we aim to reuse plastic materials by turning them into [planting pots] for various vegetable [seeds], and contribute to the establishment of urban gardening in Barangay Bonbon, thereby promoting environmental awareness,” Bulajao said.

As a sustainability measure, Bulajao further said that the project will be conducted in close coordination with their school’s National Service Training Program office, who has already identified around 50 beneficiaries, aged 18 to 30 years old and residents of said barangay who are already engaged in the Urban Community Household Gardening program of the local government unit.# (GDA)