DAR widens urban farming program to emerging cities
THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has implemented its urban farming program, Buhay sa Gulay, in Barangay Kawayan, Tacloban City in a bid to turn a 20-hectare idle land into a productive vegetable garden.
This is the first time that the project, which was first launched in Tondo, Manila last year, is implemented outside Metro Manila, according to DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones.
“This urban farming project aims to contribute in ensuring food security and encourage the people that they could still farm even in urban areas,” he said.
The program is in partnership with the DA and the local government of Tacloban, where a 1-hectare lot would be utilized for its initial phase.
“We will make idle lands become productive because the true essence of social justice is to make good use of lands, as they say, ang lupa ay buhay,” DAR Support Services Office Undersecretary Emily Padilla said for her part.
Castriciones was in Tacloban City as part of various activities in Eastern Visayas last Tuesday, March 2.
During the Eastern Visayas trip, Castriciones and other officials of the agency provided agrarian reform beneficiaries in the province a total of P48.23 million worth of support services projects and distributed 137.12 hectares of agricultural lands.
The DAR turned over the Sta. Cruz communal irrigation system (CIS), worth P25.43 million, to the local government of Barangay Sta. Cruz, Jaro, Leyte.
The said CIS is expected to improve farmers’ yield since it is estimated to service 116 hectares of lands.
Castriciones also noted that farmers in Barangay San Vicente, Matagob, Leyte was given an opportunity to have cheaper and easier access to transport their products in various markets with the construction of a P22.80-million San Vicente steel bridge implemented under the Tulay ng Pangulo Para sa Kaunlarang Pang-agraryo.
During his visit, Castriciones also distributed a total of 137.12 hectares of lands to 88 landless farmers from the towns of Alangalang, Babatngon, Dagami, Dulag, Jaro, La paz, Pastrana and Tacloban City.
“We are collaborating with other government agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, local government units and even the military forces because we want to give our services to the farmers in a whole government approach,” he said.
Tacloban City farmers also received various assistance from the DAR in the form of organizational development and strengthening livelihood training, farm machinery, and farm inputs.
We are collaborating with other government agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Department of Public Works and Highways, local government units and even the military forces because we want to give our services to the farmers in a whole government approach.
DAR Secretary John R. Castriciones