Barangays nationwide are being asked to establish community gardens and encourage households to produce fresh, healthy and affordable fruits and vegetables from their backyards and spaces in an effort to ensure food security in the country.
In Memorandum Circular No. 2023-001 dated Jan. 3, 2023, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the Halina’t MAgtanim ng Prutas At Gulay (HAPAG) sa Barangay Pro aims to strengthen the capacities of barangays towards sustainable agriculture initiatives.
One of these is the intensification and fostering of agricultural activities such as barangay community gardening wherein households and communities will be encouraged to put up community gardens in barangays with vacant spaces, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. stated.
According to the guidelines, the community garden shall be established in an available site of at least 200 square meters or its equivalent in several patches of land.
The barangay shall identify which vegetable plants (such as leafy and cruciferous vegetables, fruit-bearing plants, legumes, etc.), herbal plants, and root crops (sweet potato, cassava, taro, carrots, radish, potato, garlic, etc.) they wish to grow.
Barangays with suitable spaces are also encouraged to plant bamboos (kawayan) while those without vacant areas shall implement alternative gardening such as container gardening, vertical gardening, square foot gardening, hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics.
Container gardening refers to a micro model farming wherein a household produces fruits and vegetables in special containers for personal consumption while vertical gardening is a special kind of urban gardening suitable for small spaces particularly for decorating the walls and roofs in various styles.
On the other hand, square foot gardening is a simple method of creating small, orderly and highly productive kitchen gardens.
While hydroponics refers to the method of growing food using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil, aquaponics is a bio-system that incorporates recirculated aquaculture (fish farming) with hydroponic vegetable and herbs production to create symbiotic relationships between the plans and the fish.
The nutrient-rich waste from fish tanks “fertigate” hydroponic production beds, which in turn function as bio-filters that remove gases, acids and chemicals such as ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates from the water.
Aeroponics, meanwhile, refers to the process of growing plants in the air or mist environment without soil or an aggregate medium, with the plant’s dangling roots and lower stem sprayed with nutrient-rich water solution.
The DILG urged the barangays to coordinate and request from the concerned local government unit for any vacant property owned by the LGU or with private individuals who own a certain vacant lot that can be used to establish the barangay community garden.
The villages are tasked to encourage their residents to set up their family vegetable garden and/or plant fruit-bearing trees in available open spaces.
Sec. Abalos said the provinces and municipalities shall update their local nutrition plan of action, to include and support the establishment and maintenance of community gardens.
They are encouraged to provide agricultural support services and facilities to the barangays such as vegetable seed farms, fruit-tree and other seedling nurseries; improvement and development of local distribution channels, preferably through cooperatives; inter-barangay irrigation system; prevention and control of plant pests and diseases; and assistance in the organization of cooperatives.
A Sangguniang Barangay member who handles environmental concerns will lead and manage the community garden, with designated personnel, including the Barangay Nutrition Scholar, to assist in its operation and maintenance.