THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) have signed a five-year agreement to develop a national certification program for urban agriculture.
The initiative aims to professionalize city farming and create new livelihood opportunities while strengthening food security.
The partnership will establish Urban Agriculture
Production NC II, which will set national competency standards, training regulations, curricula and assessment tools, formally recognizing urban agriculture as a technical-vocational qualification.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative builds on the surge in urban gardening during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many Filipinos turned rooftops, balconies and vacant lots into vegetable gardens.
“We are, by nature, nurturers. Today, our task is to match that instinct with knowledge, skills and opportunity,” Laurel said.
Tesda Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez said agriculture remains one of the agency’s top scholarship sectors, adding that the partnership will expand opportunities for Filipinos to earn livelihoods through urban farming while supporting the country’s food security goals.
To support the program, the agencies will establish an Urban Agriculture Technology Demonstration and Training Center at the Tesda Complex in Taguig. Additional training hubs will be set up in Tesda regional centers, DA facilities and selected urban farming sites nationwide.
The program will cover modern production methods such as hydroponics, vertical farming, protected cultivation, container gardening and composting, alongside food safety, biosafety and good agricultural practices.
The agencies said Tesda-certified graduates may pursue careers as urban agriculture practitioners, trainers and assessors or establish their own microenterprises. Local government units, state universities and accredited institutions will also help expand the country’s pool of qualified trainers.
The DA said the initiative is expected to strengthen local food systems, improve climate resilience and position urban agriculture as a viable source of employment and entrepreneurship rather than simply a household hobby. / KOC