Mati advocates home gardening, nature farming

THE CITY of Mati is advocating home gardening and nature farming through Executive Order 42 Series of 2014, also known as Establishment of Green Communities with Agri-industry based components for youth, women, organized associations and the urban poor sector.

The program targeted three Home Owners Associations (HOA) as their pilot areas to undergo Urban Container Gardening (UCG) Activity Cycle 1 last January–May 2016, a total of 77 homeowners voluntarily enrolled to participate and 48 of them adopted the program marking a 62% success rate.

During the Recognition and Moving Up Ceremony of UCG Activity Cycle 1 last July 14, 2016, 23 were awarded as excellent performers of the program by Mayor Carlo Rabat and Vice Mayor Glenda Rabat-Gayta held at the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (DOSCST) Audio-Visual Room.

VM Rabat-Gayta is the Barangay Integration for Development and Action (BIDA) Program Director that supervises the implementation of the GreenCom Program and attributes its success to strong partnership with DOSCST represented by its President Edito Sumile.

“It is the commitment to make a difference fueled by passion for service and love for humanity that generated the positive response from the enrollees leading to community transformation,” she added.

Empowering families through food sufficiency in the household level is the main goal. The benefits of this simple gardening in the backyard are strengthening family relationships, incurring savings, income augmentation, entrepreneurial opportunities, promotes agri-tourism and solid waste management.

UCG Agriculture Consultant Perfecto Rom Jr. said by maximizing your small space at home, democratized agriculture is achieved because you are now in full control of what you eat and what you earn. “The only waste that cannot be recycled is wasted time,” he added.

Meanwhile, the UCG Activity Cycle 2, which will commence on the last quarter of the year, is focusing on Leadership and Entrepreneurship Training. Using the Program Logic Concept from the DOSCST Research and Extension Division, Cycle 2 will be the tool for sustained engagement after the volunteer enrolees experienced a meaningful participation in Cycle 1.

The fruitful collaboration of the following offices, institutions and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) made all this possible: Mati City Mayor’s Office (CMO), CMO – Barangay Affairs Coordinating Unit (CMO-BACU), Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (DOSCST), Mati City Agriculture Office (CAO), Mati City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Mati City Housing and Resettlement Office, Macambol Home Farmers Association, Fatima-Sudlon HOA, Sambuokan Village HOA and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP).

GreenCom is in the process of forging partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Provincial Agriculture Office (PAgri), Philippine Coastguard Auxiliary (PCGA) and Department of Education (DepEd).

Source: Kalamboan sa Barangay Advocacy Program Press Release