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Iloilo City residents urged to try urban farming

By Perla Lena

July 31, 2019, 7:25 pm

<p><strong>URBAN FARMING.</strong> Joseph Montelibano (extreme left), founder and chief executive officer of Aloysius Worldwide, talks about the establishment of urban farming in Iloilo City during a press conference on Tuesday (July 30, 2019). Initially, they talked with six barangays and one school for the three-phased project. <em>(PNA photo by Perla G. Lena)</em></p>

URBAN FARMING. Joseph Montelibano (extreme left), founder and chief executive officer of Aloysius Worldwide, talks about the establishment of urban farming in Iloilo City during a press conference on Tuesday (July 30, 2019). Initially, they talked with six barangays and one school for the three-phased project. (PNA photo by Perla G. Lena)

ILOILO CITY -- A global eco-fashion advocate from this city is now leading a program seeking to engage residents in urban farming.

Joseph Montelibano, founder and chief executive officer of the Aloysius Worldwide, has partnered with the office of Iloilo City Councilor Rudolph Ganzon for the implementation of the Food for Everyone for An Agri-Sustainable Tomorrow (FEAST) project.

“We handpicked barangays that are willing to work with this program, especially those with existing farms in their barangays. We can work with them as pioneer batch,” said Ganzon during Tuesday’s press conference.

Montelibano said the project is geared towards the establishment of urban farms in various participating barangays in the city.

Initially, they have talked with officials of six barangays and one school in the city for the project and found them responsive. These are Barangays Calumpang, Navais, Camalig, Dulonan, Banuyao, and Tanza Esperanza and the Bo. Obrero National High School.

“It is not farming then harvest and selling in the market. We have put different layers to this project,” he explained, adding that it was “initiated to create a movement towards secured food supply leading to sustainable livelihood”.

They want barangays to encourage residents to learn how to grow their own food sources to attain food security and maybe even able to turn their garden into an enterprise.

“If the schools start farming everything that they would serve on their cafeteria, they have already achieved something for the students, for the community, and for the environment,” he added.

The first of the three-phased project is targeted to culminate in January next year through an eco-festival, where the best barangays and schools will be showcased.

Within the first phase, they will be bringing in workshop opportunities for the community and urban farming expert, among others, he added. (PNA)


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