The City Agriculturist Office (CAO) led the inauguration of the first-ever organic community garden in the city in celebration of the third agriculture month.
“Introducing to the public the creation of this first ever organic garden in the city, which provides cleaner air, greener urban areas and healthier food so as for everyone,” said Councilor Ralph Abella, committee on agriculture chair, during his speech in the grand opening and blessing of the organic garden.
The garden, located at St. Marfori Subdivision, provides organic ways in growing vegetables such as eggplant, lettuce, okra and some herbs.
“This garden is placing up importance in organic and sustainable farming amidst benefits in our well-being and our environment,” he said.
“For years agriculture prospers as one of the major drive for Mindanao’s economy, our food stability, economic sufficiency and in alleviation of poverty,” he added.
Abella also hopes that the garden would remain until future generations.
Meanwhile, Leo Leuterio, CAO officer-in-charge, said that more organic gardens will be set up in other communities.
“We are still in process of identifying communities to where these gardens will be set up. The CAO will do the setting-up, then we will give the gardens to the communities. The communities will adapt,” Leuterio said.
More or less P2 million is allocated for the budget of the Marfori organic garden.
Leuterio also added that the mayor wanted to create more organic gardens in the city as the mayor sees the importance and relevance of organic gardens in the society.
“Mayor Sara Duterte wants us to build something like this (organic garden), but even bigger and more financially and economically sustainable,” he said.
He also added that organic gardens will take care of the future production for the people. It also entails great impact on the environment since every garbage in the household will be managed organically to put it up as a fertilizer.
Organic gardens also ensure the production of healthy vegetables as these gardens are generally considered safe for growing vegetables, he said.
The CAO will give the harvested crops to the beneficiaries of the first organic garden. Identified beneficiaries are the Balay Dampanan and the Bahay Pag-asa under the Crime Intervention Unit of the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO).
Leuterio also said that every month next year, they will be conducting trainings and seminars for the community on how to do organic planting, gardening and edible landscaping. The garden will also serve as learning center for learning organic agriculture.
Caretakers of the said garden who will maintain the productivity and cleanliness of the Marfori organic garden will be the CAO together with some personnel from Barangay 9-A.
