The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance institutionalizing urban agriculture in the city.
The proposed measure aims to support the Philippine Agenda 21 vision of poverty reduction and ecological integrity; to create greener spaces in the midst of the city curbing the problem of air pollution and other negative impacts of urbanization; encourage urban agriculture that will reduce the cost required to transport food, making healthier foods more readily available to the public and provide food stability in the city; enhance green landscape adding to the aesthetics of the city; enhance productivity by making use of idle lots and open spaces; alleviate poverty through self-sustaining programs such as backyard to table food programs thereby encouraging residents to grow fresh organic produce in the comfort of their own spaces; reduce the carbon footprint of the city thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change, ecosystem and environmental stability and create and maintain a network of green spaces for a healthy biodiversity.
The ordinance stipulated that available open spaces in all subdivisions, whether turned over or not, within the city are encouraged to be converted into urban gardens in close coordination with the concerned homeowners’ association officials.
Further, the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) shall coordinate with the homeowners association in handling community participation, execution of projects, monitoring and evaluation.
According to the proposal, open spaces in public and private schools and child-minding centers shall be developed into urban gardens.
The ordinance added that the fresh produce shall be incorporated in healthy canteen food programs of the said schools or used in feeding or donation and relief programs of the school. It shall be implemented with the General Parent Teacher Association of the school.
The ordinance mandated owners of vacant lots within the city, including privately owned lands that has no development plan within the year, shall be converted into urban gardens or farms until such time that development on the lots shall commence.
On the other hand, open spaces owned by the local government shall be converted into urban farms or gardens. The development cost, operations and maintenance of the said gardens shall be under the CVAO and City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO). Whenever possible, the willingness of the community where the open spaces are located shall be considered, for possible adoption and turn over to the community.
The ordinance emphasized that urban gardens shall be in pots and small containers, vertical or wall, rooftop, window, plots, air plants, aquaponics, hydroponics, used tires, simple greenhouses and tactical gardens and used plastic containers.
The ordinance tasked the City Urban Agriculture Council shall undertake a citywide information campaign to ensure proper implementation of the proposed measure and encourage all households to undertake urban farming in their areas through advertisements, social media campaign, incentivizing and technology and education campaign. By Dexter A. See
