2 Mandaue farmers win in nat’l contest

CEBU, Philippines - Two farmers from Mandaue City won first and second place honors in the urban city farmer category in the Search for Outstanding Farmers of the Philippines last month.

First place winner Rogelio Sulad, 56, of barangay Subangdaku walked away with P50,000 while second place winner Alma Rosell, 57, of barangay Paknaan took home P25,000.

Sulad grows potted plants while Rosell has a backyard garden.

Sulad said he will use the money to improve his garden.

He now has 154 pots and grows 14 kinds of vegetables.

Rosell said she can now share her vegetables with neighbors for free.

The awarding ceremony was held last Jan. 24 in Makati City.

Sulad and Rosell were nominated for the search after winning in the Mandaue gardening contest last July.

The search was organized by Universal Harvester Inc. and the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Both barangay Subangdaku captain Ernie Manatad and barangay Paknaan captain Malaquias Soco said they established community gardens in support of Mayor Jonas Cortes’ advocacy on urban farming.

Manatad turned an idle land owned by the Telecommunications Office into a vegetable garden.

Some 35 gardeners plant vegetables in the two-hectare property.

“By having this community garden, we encourage our residents to eat vegetables at a time when instant foods are rampant,” he said.

Vegetables in the garden are grown organically, using vermin compost, cow manure, and chicken dung as fertilizer. (FREEMAN)