More than 19,000 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and youth leaders across the country are proving that the next generation is serious about food security.
According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), 19,317 youth leaders are actively supporting their local government units under the HAPAG sa Barangay program. The campaign encourages urban gardening and community-based agriculture as a response to rising food insecurity.
In 2024 alone, SK chairs and youth volunteers helped establish and maintain around 24,000 community gardens nationwide. These gardens are planted with vegetables and fruit-bearing trees, empowering young people to promote self-reliance and environmental stewardship.
The initiative is guided by DBM-DILG-NYC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, which allows SK funds to be used for projects that contribute to nation-building, including livelihood and health programs. In Tacloban City, SK leaders in Barangay 110 Utap regularly tend their communal plots, while in Barangay Bolodbolod, Southern Leyte, youth leaders participate in monthly activities to support local food production.
To date, more than 7.2 million square meters of land have been dedicated to community gardens across the Philippines. The top regions in terms of land area include Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and the Bicol Region, where crops like pechay, kamote, and mangoes are helping communities become more food-resilient.