DA Gulayan ng Masa program assists 2,134 households
Household-farmer cooperator in the municipality of
Belison, Antique prepares his vegetable area to be
planted with squash and okra which are among the
recommended vegetables under the Gulayan ng
Masa program.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) Gulayan ng Masa program has assisted 2,372 households in establishing backyard and communal gardens in the province of Antique.
According to OIC-Regional Executive Director Larry P. Nacionales, the Gulayan ng Masa program aims to reduce hunger and improve nutrition in targeted provinces and urban centers through promotion of backyard, communal and school gardens, information campaign, provision of start up materials such as seeds, and trainings.
He further said that in Western Visayas, Antique is the focus province for the Gulayan program because it belongs to priority 2 among priority areas in the whole country wherein all Gulayan program activities implemented in the province has local government unit counterpart.
Ma. Victoria Pacificador, regional high value crops (HVCC) coordinator said that among the 2,372 households, 2,134 were backyard gardens and 238 were communal gardens established.
"The household beneficiaries were provided with Gulayan ng Masa kit containing assorted seeds of preferred vegetables, small garden tools, packets of organic fertilizers, planting materials of sweet potato, cassava, alugbati, saluyot, and malunggay and 'how-to-grow' instruction pamphlets," Pacificador added.
For household gardens, family members were encouraged to have at least 10 sq.m. lot or can resort to container gardening while communal gardens were being pushed near the barangay halls or within the school premises located in the locality.
This DA led program is being implemented together with the Department of Social Welfare Administration (DSWD), Department of Health through National Nutrition Council (DOH-NNC) and local government units (LGUs) in order to mitigate hunger incidence and curve malnutrition in the rural areas by ensuring fresh vegetables in every household.
(JEEO/RAFID 6)