Successful community gardens in San Fernando recognized

By Joelyn G. Baluyut

Thursday 2nd of August 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Aug 2 (PIA) -- The city government of San Fernando has sponsored a search for the “Most Successful Community Garden” in the city to help communities produce the vegetable requirement of each family and augment vegetable supplies in cities and municipalities by implementing the “Gulayan sa Barangay” project.

The search is in partnership with Butil Partylist Representative Agapito Guanlao.

Guanlao and City Mayor Oscar Rodriguez led the awarding ceremony at the city hall in culmination of the 2012 Nutrition Month in July.

Barangay Del Pilar emerged as winner for the barangay category, followed by Barangays Del Carmen and Sta. Lucia as second and third place, respectively.

For the school category, Pampanga High School bagged the first place; Panipuan Integrated School, second place; and San Juan Elementary School, third place.

First placers were each awarded a new greenhouse, free training sessions on gardening and equipment for their respective community garden, while second and third placers were given farms tools and vegetable seedlings.

Guanlao gave the incentives to help them consistently manage their community gardens.

“The city can save almost half of its allocated budget for health services if the citizens know how to plant, harvest and eat organic vegetables,” the congressman said.

He also commended the 19 barangays and public schools that participated in the project.

Rodriguez said “It is necessary that we should be observing our diet to protect ourselves from illnesses such as dengue. And that land owners too shall plant vegetables in their vacant lands to maximize the use of their properties.”

“July 30 is the end of the Nutrition Month Celebration but that does not mean that it is also the end of observing the importance of health and nutrition. We must always remember that our strongest fight against health risks is prevention. As they always say, prevention is better than cure,” he shared. (WLB/JGB-PIA3)