By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz Five more barangays in the second district of Quezon City were provided urban agriculture starter kits to help strengthen food security in their communities and households. DA Assistant Secretary for Livestock William Medrano
(DA / MANILA BULLETIN) The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Bureau of Animal Industry of the Department of Agriculture (DA) signed a memorandum of agreement with the Quezon City barangays, namely Holy Spirit, Batasan Hills, Bagong Silangan, Commonwealth, and Payatas for the establishment of integrated urban gardens. DA Assistant Secretary for Livestock William Medrano emphasized the essence of integrated urban agriculture in ensuring "enough and nutritious food for the family all year round." "Integrated urban gardens also enable the consumption of various sources of vitamins and nutrients in meat products, not only vegetables," Medrano said. Meanwhile, ATI Director Alfredo Aton requested for the full cooperation of the barangays in sustaining the project. "We hope that, with your efforts, this campaign on integrated urban gardening will be sustained, and eventually become part of the city fabric," he said. After the turnover of starter kits and the MOA signing ceremony with the barangay chairpersons and representatives, a harvest activity at the ATIng Gulayan ng DA demonstration site in the ATI compound was also conducted. DA Secretary William Dar has been campaigning for the enhancement of urban gardening particularly in Metro Manila and other key areas as one of the measures to address availability of food supply amidst the spread of coronavirus disease in the country. "We need to promote urban gardening in the metropolis so that when there is tightening of food supply we’ll have no problem in getting them, even at the comfort of our own homes," Dar earlier said.