BAGONG SILANG, Caloocan City—To encourage more families to grow safe and nutritious food, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) continues to assist the establishment of school and household gardens through the “Glamourizing Farming through Urban Agriculture” Program.

In partnership with the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Caloocan City, ATI launched the program on November 20, 2020 at Bagong Silang Elementary School (BSES). Officials of the Parents-Teachers Association, principals and teachers from different schools under the city’s SDO, and officials from the city and barangay government units were present in the activity.

In her welcome remarks, BSES principal Nimfa Narcise thanked the Institute for choosing their school as one of the partners in the Department of Agriculture’s “Plant, Plant, Plant” Program, through the urban agriculture project.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Supervisor Jocelyn Alinab noted how gardening has become a lifestyle among urban dwellers during this time of pandemic and how this helped relieve their “pandemic stress.”

Barangay representative Imelda Orduña also recognized the importance of urban gardening and encouraged everyone to become self-reliant and maximize their space at home and at school for planting.

Around 300 individuals, mainly parents and teachers, received agricultural inputs to start their own agricultural gardens. They received starter kits containing garden soil, vermicompost, assorted vegetable seeds, and planting guides. Likewise, the attendees took part in a ceremonial planting of vegetable seedlings in the school garden of BSES.

Representatives from the ATI-Partnerships and Accreditation Division were also present in the activity and encouraged the locals to appreciate backyard farming as a source of healthy and safe food for their families. (with reports from Mary Joy Hilot).