Ejercito pushes vegetable gardens in open spaces

MANILA, Philippines — Cities, municipalities and barangays should put up vegetable gardens in public parks, idle lands and other viable open spaces to help provide food to the poor, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said in his bill aimed at promoting food security.

Ejercito, who chairs the Senate committee on urban planning and housing, filed Senate Bill 395 or the proposed “Barangay Food Security Act,” which mandates the establishment of vegetable crop gardens for the indigent.

He underscored that the measure “does not only aim to provide food but also livelihood for those who are willing to till the soil.”

“It also addresses the issue of nutrition for our people, most especially for indigents who seldom can afford healthy foods for their children. In totality, this Act would contribute in solving hunger, unemployment and malnutrition,” he said in his bill.

“We shall give indigents the opportunity to work and cultivate land to grow crops and bring food to their homes. If this is done thru the guidance of our local government units, we would be one step closer in our dream of food security for our people,” he added.

The Philippines is an agricultural country blessed with vast fertile lands, so the government should tap them “and make them tools in providing food security for our less fortunate people,” according to the senator.

Under the bill, the vegetable crop gardens will be run by local government units (LGUs), which shall provide for a land suitable for the purpose that may be idle lands, public parks, public school grounds, or private lands with the consent of the owner thereof.

The bill stipulated that if no suitable land is available within their jurisdiction, an infrastructure or building that can be used and devoted to vertical gardening or hydroponic shall be provided by the LGU.
The Department of Agriculture shall conduct studies on the type of vegetable crops best suited to the identified location, with considerations to survivability, sustainability and yield, and provide the seeds.
The equipment shall be provided by the LGUs.

The local council, based on the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, shall select the municipality’s or city’s 10 poorest barangays to become beneficiaries of the harvest of the crop garden and may employ indigents to run them.