The Department of Agrarian Reform will launch its third urban vegetable farming dubbed Buhay sa Gulay project tomorrow in an idle lot in Caloocan City to promote farming, help reduce poverty, eradicate hunger, and contribute to food security among marginalized villages in the National Capital Region.
Secretary John Castriciones said this is the third urban vegetable farming to be launched in Metro Manila.
He said Caloocan City is following the success of St. John Bosco Parish in Tondo, Manila that has launched its urban vegetable farming last October, and of Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City with its own Buhay sa Gulay project in a vast 7,000-hectare lot last Jan. 8.
According to Castriciones, the third Buhay sa Gulay project has 105 project participants, all residents of Sunriser Village and Vista Verde Executive Village in Barangay 167.
“This is a combined undertaking of the national government agencies, local government units and community-based organizations, led by the DAR, Department of Agriculture; local government of Caloocan City; Agricultural Training Institute; residents of Barangay 165, 166, 167 and 168, and the agrarian reform beneficiaries of Cavite and Rizal,” he said.
The Buhay sa Gulay project is in line with the “small brother-big brother” development strategy, wherein mature, established and progressive agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations of DAR provide support and assistance to marginalized dwellers, who are mostly informal settlers, much akin to newly organized ARBOS struggling to keep its members and organization functioning.
