THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) recently launched the "Buhay sa Gulay" program in the Pampanga.
DAR Secretary John Castriciones, who led the launching of the program, said the project is the agency's response to the economic troubles caused by the pandemic.
"We first launched this during the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon and we were able to provide income to dozens of families from Tondo, Manila," said Castriciones.
Under the program, the secretary said the agency and partner local government unit provide idle lands that beneficiaries can farm for free.
He added that the government also helps in the marketing and transportation of harvested crops to ensure that goods will be sold at the proper price.
In Pampanga, DAR Central Luzon Director Celestina Tam said the agency lend the 2,500 square-meter idle land at the Diosdado Macapagal Regional Government Center for the said program.
She said the land was subdivided into 50 plots and planted with various crops such as pechay, Chinese kangkong, talbos ng kamote, sigarilyas, ampalaya, patola, kalabasa, lettuce, cassava, lemongrass, as well as fruit-bearing trees including guava, papaya and bananas.
"Beneficiaries from the province can sell the harvested crops and divide the sales among themselves and hopefully use them to buy necessities for their families," she said.
Meanwhile, aside from livelihood support, Castriciones said the program also aims to promote farming in urban areas to ensure food security in the community.
"During the ECQ, many were worried that markets and groceries will run out of supply of goods. We lack sense of food security but if we have our own farm when we can harvest food, we will never experience that feeling again," he said.