Philippines: Quezon City urban farming program as model for National Government
Mayor Joy Belmonte in 2010 during her term as vice mayor — has helped establish more than 160 organic farms in backyards, daycare centers, churches, and communal spaces in the city.
By MB Business
Aug 3, 2022
Excerpt:
“Mayor Belmonte sees the program, and other similar programs in Quezon City, as a means to mitigate hunger in communities by encouraging and helping citizens to produce and grow their own vegetables, both as food and as a source of livelihood,” he said.
“This is a model of sustainability and self-sufficiency that can be adopted by the national government and other local government units,” he added.
Vargas said the Sharon Farm in District V, his home district, is considered one of the city’s community model farms under the GrowQC Food Security Program.
The 5,000 square-meter farm serves as a “feeder farm,” providing seedlings and other agricultural inputs for other urban gardens and farms in Quezon City. This was made possible through a partnership with the Diocese of Novaliches that allowed access to idle land within its property, he said.
At the same time, Vargas expressed support for a proposal to utilize the national tax allocation (NTA) of LGUs to address the looming food crisis and strengthen the agricultural sector.
Vargas said the Supreme Court’s “Mandanas Ruling” has given local governments the additional resources to address the needs of their constituents and this includes food and other basic needs.
