To ensure food availability while the country is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture is encouraging city farming and distributing free vegetable seeds and seedlings throughout the country.
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According to the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI), if people can grow their food in their backyards, it can ease the demand for food and decongest the markets and groceries.
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“Happy planting. Stay calm amidst COVID-19 by growing your own healthy food,” the BPI said in a Facebook post.
“Under this program, we hope to provide households, especially in metropolitan areas, with the opportunity to grow fresh and wholesome food products under quarantine themselves,” explained by Minister of Agriculture William Dar.
DA-BPI announced that seedlings, including kang kong, okra, pechay, and mustard are available from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at DA-BPI Malate and Quezon City offices. DA-BPI still also encourages the observance of precautionary measures such as wearing face masks and physical distancing.
Mobile Palengke
Aside from providing seedlings to grow your own food during the #LuzonLockdown period, Pasig City rolled out its Mobile Palengke.
Aside from Pasig, the cities of Valenzuela and Mandaluyong also followed suit and now have their own “Mobile Palengke” in response to the problem of large crowds and long queues in supermarkets and groceries.
