Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture

Government Sets Urban Agriculture Program in Metro Manila

Philippine Daily Inquirer - July 24, 2001

The Department of Agriculture will soon launch an urban agriculture program in Metro Manila aimed at alleviating poverty, Malacaang announced Tuesday.

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor said the program will also help in the government's waste reduction drive and improve the health of residents especially in depressed areas.

Montemayor said the urban agriculture program will be implemented first in Metro Manila and will expand to Metro Davao, Metro Cebu and other cities.

The program, according to Montemayor, will also provide gainful livelihood activities for out-of-school youths, retirees, senior citizens and urban poor women.

The agriculture department will implement the program in coordination with the local government units (LGUs), the Metro Manila Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other civic organizations.

Montemayor said potential sites for the urban agriculture program are schools, vacant lots and backyards, including subdivisions and public lots, individual homes and other available lands.

He explained the program will adopt simple and "doable" technologies like receptacle farming, urban and human waste composting and home energy (biogas) production, basket and hanging home gardens, and simple food processing, packaging and marketing.

Among the potential products that can be grown in home gardens are vegetables, spices, herbs, and food plants in waterlogged areas like kangkong and mongo sprouts, he said.

Montemayor said the agriculture department will provide technologies, training, extension works, and the initial planting materials and farm tools.

The chambers of commerce and industry in Metro Manila, non-government organizations and civic organizations will assist in organizing urban poor communities and in the marketing and processing of their produce, he said.

---

CDOC Implements Periurban Project

By Dr. Robert J. Holmer
"NOMCARRD Monitor", Vol. XIC, No.24

The city government of Cagayan de Oro under the Ieadership of the Local Environment and Planning Management (LEPM) is presently implementing the "The Cagayan de Oro City Integrated Environmental Management and Sustainability Development Program" funded by the "Sustainability Development Program" funded by the "Sustainable Cities Program" of UNDP. Two components of this program, the "Recovery of Municipal Solid Waste into Organic Fertilizer Project" and the "PeriUrban Organic Farming and Low Volume Water Management System Vegetable Production Project" are based on the knowledge generated by the PeriUrban Vegetable Project (PUVeP) of Xavier University College of Agriculture (XUCA).

Segregated biodegradable wastes from households of pilot barangays and subdivisions as well as from their public city markets will be converted into commercially competitive products at a newly constructed compost area at the Cagayan de Oro landfill site. Twenty-two vegetable production demo-farms equipped with drip irrigation will be established in different barangays of the city, among those are San Simon, Iponan, Canitoan, Pagatpat, Lumbia, Taglimao, Pagalungan and Dansolihon.

For more information regarding this project, kindly contact:
Mr. Rosco Masiba
City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)
Local Environment and Planning Management Unit (LEPM)
City Hall
9000 Cagayan de Oro City
PHILIPPINES
Tel. 0063-88-857835
email: rjholmer@cdo.philcom.com.ph

Search Our Site

Return to Contents' Page