CALOOCAN CITY, Metro Manila—To realize the national thrust on food availability and affordability, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) carries on with its street caravans for the ATIng Gulayan ng DA and Glamourizing Farming through Agriculture: Metropolitan Youth in Sustainable and Healthy Living projects.

With these street caravans, the ATI aims to empower urban communities to grow vegetables and other food sources in their own backyards or in communal gardens.

On March 6, some staff from the ATI Partnerships and Accreditation Division (PAD) stopped by Urduja Elementary School to share about the basics of urban gardening to around 40 community members including Grade 5 and 6 students, parents, teachers, and barangay officials.

The participants were introduced to the components of urban gardening, container gardening, waste management, organic agriculture, pest management, harvest management, record-keeping, and the state of Philippine agriculture. They also took part in a hands-on workshop on reusing plastic bottles as plant containers.

“The activity taught us how to plant and how to use recycled materials for planting. It enlightened us on the advantages of gardening to children and parents. We thank the ATI for everything they taught us,” Evelyn Wright, one of the parents present at the activity, said.

The students also shared their appreciation for the knowledge they gained. Among them is Ice Christian Meracap who learned “how to use organic fertilizers properly.”

The ATI PAD staff hoped that through the activity, these children will be encouraged to form their own 4-H Clubs to help attain food security for Filipinos in years ahead.