DILIMAN, Quezon City—Amid the global pandemic, more households in Metro Manila and nearby provinces are set to join the move towards a food-sufficient country as the Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with four non-government organizations (NGO) in promoting urban agriculture in the Philippines.

MVM Message Movements Media, Inc., Project Pearls, AGREA, and Metro Pacific Investment Foundation are the newest addition to the expanding communities and network of the urban agriculture initiative, under the Department’s “Plant, Plant, Plant” program.

These NGOs have expressed commitment and support to the project during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement, led by Agriculture Secretary William Dar, and organized by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) last September 17, 2020.

The Secretary said that the program has been a key strategy of the DA to promote food security in the household and community levels, particularly with the threat of COVID-19 in the food systems and supply.

“Now it [urban agriculture project] is turning to be a major initiative to be sustained overtime. We are happy that this momentum is progressing, and we will continue to cultivate and nurture that environment,” he added.

As with the partnership arrangements with local government units, private associations, and schools in Quezon and Caloocan cities, the said organizations were also provided with starter kits intended for around 600 to 10,000 households. Moreover, technical assistance and urban gardening information materials will be given as part of the project to help strengthen the campaign for urban-grown food.

Project Pearls Operations and Programs Director Monica Aclan affirmed that the project will be valuable to the communities they are assisting and will help more people look at farming in a different light.

This event, held in the DA compound, was also attended by DA Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes and ATI Assistant Director Rosana Mula.