The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE) is collaborating with the Quezon City local government unit to ensure the steady supply of food within the city.
DA-BAFE Director Ariodear Rico and his team were cordially received by Mr. Emmanuel Hugh Velasco, the Co-Chairman of the Food Security Task Force in QC, on May 31, 2023 for an exploratory meeting. The meeting marked a collaborative effort towards enhancing and promoting food security in the highly urbanized city (HUC).
The Quezon City Food Security Program and other related projects of the City were laid out by Mr. Velasco. He emphasized that the Quezon City Local Government Unit (QCLGU) has partnered with the Department of Agriculture to promote urban agriculture as a means of addressing the city’s lack of agricultural production.
The QCLGU’s project entitled “Joy of Urban Farming” aims to alleviate hunger by motivating Quezon City residents to grow and harvest nourishing vegetables for their own consumption. According to Mr. Velasco, the said project can also provide livelihood for LGU’s constituents. Under the “Joy of Urban Farming” project, various training sessions including orientations and seminars are provided to teach people from different backgrounds about urban farming.
Meanwhile, Director Rico announced the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) service support provided by DA-BAFE has been made a compulsory position at all LGU levels.
“National government agencies, LGUs, and SUCs involved in implementing, regulating, funding, and conducting research, development, training, extension services, testing, evaluation, inspection, and technical audit of irrigation need to hire the required number of agricultural and biosystems engineers,” Director Rico said.
“To fulfill this need, different levels of agricultural and biosystems engineer positions shall be created,” he explained.
Director Rico emphasized that the LGU-ABE groups will be responsible for eight devolved functions, which include projects related to irrigation, soil and water conservation, agri-fisheries mechanization, post-harvest facilities, farm-to-market roads, on-site research and extension services, agricultural regulations, waste management, and climate change action plans that focus on agriculture and biosystems engineering.
DA-BAFE is intents to gather more information regarding the various aspects of Quezon City LGU’s Urban Agriculture and Food Systems, such as Vegetable nurseries with Seed Starter Kits, Community Model Farms or Gardens, Aquaculture, Feeding Program with Community Soup Kitchen or Commissary, Agri-Overlay Zone, Food Processing Zone, and Food Trade with GrowQC Kadiwa as basis for collaborative initiative. ###Ralph Angelo Ongka, BAFE-ICTST