ILOILO City – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has called on all 4,051 barangays in Western Visayas to establish vegetable gardens as part of the “Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas At Gulay” (HAPAG) program, aiming to bolster food security and address hunger-related issues in the region.
Data from DILG-6, as of July 2024 showed 3,045 barangays have already set up their HAPAG gardens.
The initiative targets the integration of food security measures to alleviate hunger in communities.
DILG-6 director Juan Jovian Ingeniero issued a memorandum urging all barangays to adopt this program by setting up vegetable gardens to meet the residents’ food security needs.
Ingeniero emphasized the importance of urban barangays, which have denser populations and a higher demand for food, to establish even small-scale gardens.
“One of the mandates of each barangay is to assist our less fortunate citizens to at least alleviate hunger and ensure they have food daily. The HAPAG aims to support our fellow citizens in this aspect,” he pointed out.
He further explained that once a barangay establishes a vegetable garden, there would be less need for the barangay officials to request assistance from the local government unit (LGU) level to purchase food for their impoverished residents. If aid is requested, it would be a considerably smaller amount.
Ingeniero said installing a vegetable garden at the barangay level is mandatory under the Local Government Code, as part of the barangay officials’ obligation to implement programs, projects, and initiatives that improve the livelihood of their residents.
He added, “We will continue to urge them, documenting the progress, and I’m directing all provincial directors to monitor and ensure that all barangays have established their gardens.”
The establishment of the HAPAG program is also a crucial factor for barangays aiming to pass the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) – Barangay Level.
Known as the “mother of all awards,” the SGLG is the highest distinction given to local government units that demonstrate transparency and accountability. This institutionalized award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program remains committed to promoting inclusive and people-oriented reforms that foster a culture of good governance amid challenges in the local government landscape./PN
