DILIMAN, Quezon City—Residents in five additional barangays from the second district of Quezon City are now equipped to strengthen food security in their communities and households.

This is after they received starter kits and, in turn, pledged commitment to support the urban agriculture initiative under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) “Plant, Plant, Plant” program.

These barangays, particularly, Holy Spirit, Batasan Hills, Bagong Silangan, Commonwealth, and Payatas sealed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the DA, through the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), for the establishment of integrated urban gardens.

In his message during the activity, DA Assistant Secretary for Livestock William Medrano emphasized the essence of integrated urban agriculture in ensuring “enough and nutritious food for the family all year round.”

“Integrated urban gardens also enable the consumption of various sources of vitamins and nutrients in meat products, not only vegetables,” Medrano added.

Meanwhile, ATI Director Alfredo Aton requested for the full cooperation of the barangays in sustaining the project.

“We hope that, with your efforts, this campaign on integrated urban gardening will be sustained, and eventually become part of the city fabric,” he said.

After the turnover of starter kits and the MOA signing ceremony with the barangay chairpersons and representatives, a harvest activity at the ATIng Gulayan ng DA demonstration site in the ATI compound was also conducted.

BAI Director Ronnie Domingo and ATI Officer-in-Charge Assistant Director Rosana Mula were also present during the activity held last May 7 in the ATI Central Office. A separate distribution activity was held on the same day for the Mountain View Homeowners Association, Inc. in Filinvest II, Quezon City, represented by its president, Reynaldo Angeles.