Agri-tourism program in Iloilo City proposed
ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Iloilo City’s agriculture office is pushing for the development of urban gardens instead of the usual farmlands due to the city’s limited space.
City agriculturist Romulo Pangantihon said the plan is to adopt vertical and container gardening, which the City Tourism and Development Office and the City Budget Office (CBO) hope would kick-start agri-tourism activities in Iloilo City.
“This will be incorporated in our regular program. Only those with the intention to join will be accepted,” he said, adding that the program is not labor-intensive and will not even pose hazards to implementers.
Participants will be provided with vegetable seeds, soil, fertilizer and other inputs.
Included in the proposal is to hang container plants in island railings in support of the city’s beautification program that is being handled by the CBO.
“We are now in the preparatory stage of identifying materials, plants to be planted and other support that will be needed,” Pangantihon said.
The city agriculture office is planning to pilot the proposed program in barangays or villages to be selected by the Red Ladies of Iloilo, which is likewise advocating for communal vegetable gardening in the city.
The Red Ladies of Iloilo are currently spearheading the implementation of the Integrated Community Food Production Program (ICFP), which is using a 110.37 million fund from the bottom-up budgeting program of the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
The program targets 2,000 households in the city, mostly beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Pangantihon noted that the proposed urban gardening is really geared towards helping micro-enterprises, wherein household produce will be gathered and sold to the market.
The plan was presented to Agriculture Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña when she visited this city last month. Laviña committed to look into the agriculture department’s funds to determine if they could help support the program, Pangantihon said.