ALFONSO LISTA, Ifugao – The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) simultaneously launched the Green Revolution 2.0: Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (Luntiang Ani ng Mamamayan) in the Cordillera, particularly in Alfonso Lista, Ifugao and Guisad, Baguio City, respectively recently.
An initiative of the DA, the Green Revolution 2.0 seeks to improve the nutrition of Filipinos by intensifying the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. It further aims to turn communities into patches of green edible landscapes by establishing vegetable gardens.
Dr. Jesus Aspuria, Center Chief of the BPI-Bureau of National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center (BNCRDPSC), added that the Program aims to showcase the different cropping technologies and farming practices in the urban setting as it emphasizes the intensification of urban and peri-urban initiatives of the department that impacts on food security. Here, the urban and peri-urban dwellers were then encouraged to grow their own food through the Gulayan sa Barangay and Gulayan sa Paaralan Programs of the agriculture sector in partnership with the different barangay local government units and the public schools in the city.
Meanwhile, Regional Executive Director Cameron P. Odsey of the Cordillera office of the DA who led the launching proper in Ifugao also encouraged the participants to grow additional crops that are feasible in their areas such as herbs and spices. He added that the diversity of crops grown also offers diversified sources of nutrition at home, to provide the body’s different needs.
The Green Revolution 2.0 is attuned with the new DA program known as the National Urban and Peri-Urban Program (NUPAP) which will be implemented under the High Value Crops and Development Program (HVCDP). DA-CAR HVCDP Assistant Focal Person Eleanor Camut shared salient areas of the NUPAP and the ongoing initiatives on Gulayan sa Paaralan and sa Barangay throughout the region. Accordingly, the NUPAP seeks to address the challenges brought by the pandemic and achieve food security as well as provide an alternative source of livelihood.
The launching activity in Baguio City was led by the BPI-BNCRDPSC headed by Dr. Aspuria and was participated in by representatives from the DA-CAR HVCDP, city-based public schools and barangay governments, and other partner public and private organizations in the locality. In Ifugao, Alfonso Lista Mayor Edralin B. Alipio, James Damoyan representing the Provincial Governor of Ifugao also participated in the event along with key personnel from the municipal governments and farmers’ cooperatives and associations.
A simultaneous ceremonial planting of crops in the designated technology-demonstration areas was also conducted. Seedlings planted were assorted lowland and leafy vegetables. Further, the DA-CAR and BPI distributed planting materials as starter packs for the urban gardening of the participants. The DA-CAR distributed lowland value seed packs and seedlings while the BPI provided bioganic and vegetable seeds as well. By JBAgrifino & LDMendoza