In a move to promote urban food production and encourage civic group participation, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), through its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), has extended support to the community garden project of the Barangay Consolacion Solo Parents Association (BCSPA).
Recently, DA-10 representatives, Senior Agriculturist Richan D. Lacanaria and HVCDP focal person Kersten S. Pagalan, handed over essential gardening materials to BCSPA president Rubelyn B. Lumbab. The items included 30 packets of assorted vegetable seeds, five light hoes, three shovels, four sprinklers, and ten seedling trays.
BCSPA is an organization comprising 38 solo parents who have come together to establish a community garden. According to Lumbab, the initiative aims to productively utilize their time, especially since many members are stay-at-home parents.
“Having a garden will help us provide fresh vegetables for our children and serve as an additional source of income by selling our extra harvest,” Lumbab stated. She added that the group is optimizing an idle space in their locality as a communal garden while some members are employing pot gardening techniques.
This collaboration underscores the DA’s commitment to promoting food sufficiency as a shared responsibility between the government and private stakeholders. The agency welcomes partnerships and community-led initiatives that foster self-reliance and sustainable food production at the grassroots level.
By supporting projects like BCSPA’s community garden, DA-10 hopes to inspire more civic groups to engage in urban agriculture, contributing to food security and community empowerment.