SMC turns portion of head office land into urban farm
SAN Miguel Corp. is building its first urban farm within its sprawling head office complex in Ortigas to help build self-sufficiency among its support staff and help put agriculture back into the spotlight.
Under the program, interested employees and workers doing support jobs will be given a plot of land in what will be dubbed as SMC’s “Malasakit Garden” for them to use as a space to grow whatever produce they like.
They can then choose to either bring home their harvest, or to sell these for a profit at a small Malasakit Garden Farmers market stall to be set up at the complex.
“In this time of pandemic, many
Filipinos are looking for ways to earn extra income, or at the very least, make sure they have sufficient supply of food. Realizing the importance of food security, many are also exploring growing their own food. That is why we thought of this simple project to help our maintenance workers, as well as our own employees,” SMC President Ramon Ang said.
SMC partnered with SEED Philippines and will teach the staff how to succeed at urban farming.
“Our hope is that they can really grow to like planting, they can hone their skills, and it becomes a practical life skill for them,” he added.
Ang said the project will hopefully encourage more businesses to transform urban spaces into functioning ecological spaces and help agriculture flourish.
Meanwhile, the SMC-Better
World Diliman community center helps boost farm incomes by providing a ready-market for farmers’ excess produce.