TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – “Ipinapangako po namin sa ATI na hindi namin pababayaan ang aming garden. Patuloy din po kaming magtuturo at magbabahagi ng aming mga kaalaman na ibinahagi ninyo.”
Agnes Domingo, President of ADHIKA Group Inc., vowed to actively sustain the operations of the established urban community garden in their area in Calamba City. Domingo is one of the participants of ATI CALABARZON’s program, Broadcasts on Urban Agriculture: “ATIng Eskwelahan, Gulayan sa Pamayanan.”
Gulayan sa Pamayanan is an innovative take on the Institute’s School on the Air program, a distance learning program, where learning takes place with the use of ICT platforms such as radio, tv and internet.
The program primarily focused on teaching urban dwellers how to start and manage an urban garden at the household and community level by watching a complete package of technology on Urban Agriculture (UA). The technology videos produced by the Center were uploaded to its official YouTube channel every Tuesday starting September. Participants watched the videos using their mobile phones, tablet, laptop or desktop.
“Gulayan sa Pamayanan” was designed for holistic learning experience as participants were also provided by ATI CALABARZON with UA starter kits so they can simultaneously apply what they have learned as the program progresses. The UA kits consist of vegetable seeds, garden soil, vermicompost, CRH (household level), and additional garden tools such as seedling trays, pail, rake, trowel, shovel and hoe, among others, for the community level.
Urban dwellers who are members of People’s Organizations (POs), 4H Club and vegetable farmers participated in the program, namely: RIC-CC Amadeo Chapter (Amadeo, Cavite) , 4H Green Hands (Naic, Cavite), Cabuyao Garden Producers Association (Cabuyao, Laguna), Herbs Inc. & Tanim Cooperative (San Pablo City) and ADHIKA Group Inc. (Calamba City, Laguna).
Participants were expected to establish and maintain the community garden as a group with guidance from their Municipal and City Agriculture Offices.
“Bilang isang nanay, napakahalaga pala na ang kakainin natin, alam natin kung gaano ito kalinis, yung importansya kung ano ang i-absorb ng katawan mo para maging healthy tayong lahat,” Gadelyn Gonzales, a member from Cabuyao Garden Producers Association shared.
Through their community garden, Gonzales’ family and members of Cabuyao Producers now enjoy fresh vegetables. They share some of their harvest to the villagers while some are sold to nearby communities. All these are being monitored by ATI through constant communication with the participants through a closed Facebook group. Participants are also required to fill out monitoring forms and submit to ATI management team led by Ms. Maridelle Jaurigue from the Information Services Section and Ms. Vira Elyssa Jamolin.
The established community gardens are now becoming a tourist attraction and learning venue for members of the community who wish to start their own gardens.
The program was conceptualized in support to Department of Agriculture’s “Plant, Plant Plant Program,” a nationwide campaign on securing food sufficiency by encouraging the public to plant in their backyards and get creative on plant propagation with the use of containers and other UA systems.