SAN JUAN JOINS URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

To continuously ensure supply of healthy and safe vegetables to residents of metro areas, the Department of Agriculture and the city government of San Juan forged a partnership following the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for the implementation of the Urban Agriculture Program (UAP) on July 24, 2020.

The intensified UAP, which is one of the key strategies of the Department during the time of pandemic, aims to empower families living in urban areas to produce their own food by providing vegetable seeds, seedlings and other planting materials for their kitchen gardens.

“The DA has been partnering with the local government units so we can set up more urban gardens in the Metropolis and guarantee Filipino farmers sufficient food on the table,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar explained. The agri chief underscored that “now more than ever it is necessary for everyone to have FAITH—Food Always In The Home.”

Mayor Francis Zamora expressed his appreciation to DA and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for bringing the UAP in San Juan. “We are very thankful because we have always been a part of the programs and projects of the national government,” he said.

The mayor added that his office will finalize the set of guidelines with the guidance of BPI and will soon release an announcement for the distribution of vegetable seeds and other inputs. “Para sa ating mga kababayan, makakapagsimula na po tayo ng ating pagtatanim sa ating mga bakuran, dahil nandito na po ang mga tulong mula sa DA,” he said.

The City of San Juan initially received a total of 2000 sets of assorted vegetable seeds and three trays of seedlings, with 100 seedlings per tray from BPI. “We will provide more, once the city government has established a community garden,” BPI Assistant Director Glenn Panganiban said. Earlier this week, the city government of Taguig also sealed a partnership with DA for UAP.