The Quezon City government has joined forces with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Agriculture to develop its seven-hectare land in Barangay Bagong Silangan to an urban vegetable farming site.

Dubbed as “Buhay sa Gulay”, it primarily aims to further promote the importance of urban farming and empower urban dwellers to have an alternative source of income through producing and selling fresh vegetables.

Buhay sa Gulay in Bgy. Bagong Silangan is DAR’s second urban vegetable farming project with an LGU, replicating the success of its urban faming project in Tondo, Manila.

“We are happy to finally launch our Buhay sa Gulay. Aside from providing 70 residents in New Greenland an alternative source of income, we also ensure that they find enjoyment in managing and producing products from their own farm,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

The city has also partnered with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Bread Society International for the beneficiaries’ needed trainings and capacity building.

“This project is a huge help for our Quezon city residents, as this can provide them with an alternative source of income and food supply. We are positive that other cities in Metro Manila would replicate this project because this is a strategic solution to address issues of food production and sufficiency, and livelihood needs of Filipinos in urban communities,” DAR Secretary Brother John Castriciones said.

A memorandum of understanding will be signed by the agencies, together with Barangay Bagong Silangan officials, to formalize the partnership.

Beneficiaries will be trained by farmer scientists from DAR-CALABARZON, while the DA will provide them machineries and tools.

According to DAR, the farm is expected to produce 765 metric tons of vegetables that includes 29.7 MT eggplants, 0.7 MT Sitao, 350 MT Pechay, 280 MT Mustasa, 25 MT Squash, 80 Okra, and 20 MT Ampalaya.

Through the Buhay sa Gulay, QC is also aiming to be a sustainable and climate resilient city by developing alternative housing models for the beneficiaries, as New Greenland is a flood plain that endangers traditional housing designs.

Aside from Buhay sa Gulay, the city has also initiated “Grow QC: Kasama ka sa Pag-unlad sa Pagkain, Kabuhayan, at Kalusugan program” which promotes the significance of urban agriculture and food security in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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