THE City Government has recognized five homeowners associations in relocation sites for their sustainable Urban Container Household Gardening (UCHG).

According to the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD), there are about 53 homeowners association which participated, but only 32 were able to sustain the program.

Macapaya Hills Oro Settlers Homeowners Association ranked the top spot; followed by CDORSHP 3 Iponan Homeowners Associaiton, Xavier Ecoville Lumbia Homeowners Association, GK, SMC Balubal Homeowners Association, and CDORSHP Balubal Homeowners Association, respectively.

"We started the program with the Marawi internally displaced persons as our participants, meant to give them livelihood while they are residing in our city, and also it helps them deal with the trauma from the war," City Administrator Teodoro Sabuga-a Jr. said.

It was then adopted as a program for the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and later on, to the different homeowners association.

The urban container gardening aims to combat the rising problem of malnutrition, poverty, and high drop-out rates among school-age children in the city.

It aims to teach families to feed themselves by planting their own vegetables with their own space. (PJO)