THE city government and two city farmers bagged key awards in the 2020 Regional Organic Agriculture Achievers’ Award in different categories for their contributions to organic farming.
The city government was recognized for its initiatives supporting organic farming under the Local Government Unit Category. Its initiative to push for organic farming is based on Republic Act 10068, also known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.
City Agriculturist Officer Leo Brian Leuterio said the city government, under the leadership of Mayor Sara Duterte, has been pushing for organic agriculture as part of her agenda on food security and good nutrition.
“It’s really about aligning or accomplishing the tenets in the Organic Agriculture Act. The more you are aligned with that, the more points you get. And apparently, in Region 11 we are the most aligned to those objectives,” Leuterio said.
As part of the prize, the city government also received P300,000 it will use to set up a vermiculture production are in Malagos Garden.
Also awarded were Janel Juaton from Megkawayan, Calinan in the Young Farmer Category with a cash award of P30,000, and Neptali Buhawe, an agricultural technologist from Marilog District, in the Agricultural Extension Worker Category with P15,000 cash prize.
The city agriculturist office has been producing organic seeds at the city’s rooftop garden and urban community gardens. These are distributed to support organic farmers, the newly established “Stay-at-Home, Magtanom” project, and for the Peace 911 efforts in Paquibato.
