CentCom joins DA in urban gardening

CEBU, Philippines — In response to the forged partnership between the Department of Agriculture (DA)-7 and the military, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command (CentCom) in Cebu City recently underwent a one-day seminar on urban gardening.

The seminar, conducted inside the CentCom headquarters, is in line with DA's Plant, Plant, Plant Program (4Ps) or Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat kontra COVID-19 Program (ALPAS sa COVID-19).

Captain Rhey B. Mallorca, Operation Officer of the AFP Health Service Center-Central (AFPHSC-Central), expressed his gratitude and support to the program of DA especially during this time of pandemic.

The  seminar, he said, will equip AFP staff with skills in putting up an urban garden inside the AFP premises.  This urban garden will showcase food production in highly urbanized cities.

"In this time of pandemic, where food movement is quite abnormal, this training will help us produce our own food. We look forward for the continued advocacy. Helping each other will lead to greater success for us here in the city," Mallorca said, in a statement released by DA-7.

He added that there areas inside the camp that will be used by the different AFP units for the establishment of their gardens.

Staff Sergeant Florendo Lapaz, who was among the participants, said the training gave him more knowledge in vegetable gardening.

One of the DA-7 trainers Nimfa Davis, Senior Science Research Specialist, encouraged the participants to plant not only inside the camp but also in their respective households, where they can produce fresh, safe and healthy foods.

Training subjects include urban gardening, vegetable production, and pest and diseases management.

The DA-7 added that participants had observed the actual hand tractor operation followed with the hands-on land preparation and seed sowing.  GAN (FREEMAN)