ROXAS City – To ensure food in every table, the Capiz provincial government launched an urban backyard gardening project in Barangay VII here. Residents are encouraged to grow vegetables in pots and containers.
Gov. Esteban Evan Contreras, who graced the pilot testing of the project on May 19, stressed the importance of food security amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
“Families in rural areas are not greatly affected when it comes to their daily food supply because of their produce from backyard gardening,” he stressed.
The project will be carried out through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in partnership with the Capiz Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (CaPENRO) thru its Solid Waste Management Program.
During the launching, vegetable seedlings, such as pechay, tomato, okra, lettuce, latoy and others were provided to Barangay VII residents to start up their urban garden.
Provincial Agriculturist Sylvia dela Cruz said the project encourages households to plant vegetables as part of worthwhile activities while staying at home is also contributing in the fight to eliminate COVID-19.
For her part, Acting CaPENRO lawyer Emilyn Depon also took the time to share with the residents the significance of a clean and healthy environment especially in the time of pandemic by recycling some trash materials into gardening materials.
CaPENRO Agriculturists Reynald Dejapa and Pedy Fernandez also served as resource persons in the demonstration on how to properly transform and utilize used plastic/pet bottles into gardening materials for the urban/backyard gardening project. (PIA-Capiz/PN)
