1,500 Caloocan urban gardeners cited

MANILA, Philippines - Some 1,500 urban gardeners in Caloocan City were cited during yesterday’s Recom inter-community container gardening contest for helping address the local government’s solid waste management concerns. 

Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri said a total of 38 federations of Caloocan urban gardeners, the biggest ever assembled in Metro Manila, attended the awarding ceremonies held at the City Hall’s north gardens in Camarin.

Organized by the Caloocan City Parks Administration Services and the City Agriculture Office, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and the Office of Liga ng mga Barangay president Ricojudge Echiverri, this year’s entries included community-maintained gardens that have been sources of vegetables and herbs since early January, parks administrator Jesse Acenas said.

Acenas said his department promoted container gardening also as a strategy to cushion the impact of inflation and hunger, to encourage composting as a source of organic fertilizer, and to help reduce urban waste.

He said the project proved that even a small community is capable of addressing its own waste management problem.

“The residents progressively learned that their homes can be sources of organic herbs and vegetables,” Acenas said.

The Caloocan Eco Park Gardens, a group of city gardeners based in Dagat-Dagatan Extension in Barangay 28, bagged this year’s top prize for being resourceful in its use of recycled materials; effectiveness in soliciting community involvement; and total produce harvested during the competition.

The San Roque Chapel Bukluran of Phase 9 in Bagong Silang was second while the Derladi Mission Center Organization of Vista Verde, Llano in Barangay 167 placed third.                    – Pete Laude