The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 – Central Visayas encouraged the partner-beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to join the search for Gulayan sa Barangay.
The first search for Gulayan sa Barangay was held in 2021 during the pandemic period.
This search for best communal gardening will be revived again this year to recognize beneficiaries for their efforts in creating an edible garden in which it provides access to fresh, organic, and nutritionally rich food to their family and the rest of the community.
The communal garden must be cultivated by a group of 4Ps family-beneficiaries within their barangay.
“We have been encouraging our 4Ps partner-beneficiaries to make their own edible garden may it be individual, communal, or school-based gardening so that they have their own source of healthy and nutritious food,” said DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero.
Director Lucero added that by having their garden they can easily have their vegetable as a viand complementing the monthly rice subsidy provided by 4Ps.
Moreover, the Gulayan sa Barangay fosters camaraderie among 4Ps beneficiaries and strong partnerships with local stakeholders who play an important role in providing land, technical assistance, and logistical support.
Lucero underscored that through the monthly Family Development Session (FDS), partners from the local agriculture office can provide seedlings and technical assistance on how to grow plants.
For this year’s search, the mechanics will remain the same with criteria of 25% for Practices of Organic Culture in which the plants are healthy and hygienic, have good soil fertility management, and have sustained production of organic fertilizer, practicing integrated pest management and composting of wastes, 25% for Production and Variety of Edible Crops and Vegetables in which the production of varied crops and vegetables in all seasons by kilograms will be considered like having at least fifteen (15) varieties of edible basic plants and at least five (5) kinds of herbs. Fruit-bearing trees will also be counted as additional points such as papaya and banana.
Another criterion would be 20% for Creativity and Innovativeness considering its garden design, layout, and arrangement of plants. The use of ornamental plants will also be considered. The group who has skillfully utilized existing resources and used recyclable and indigenous materials available in the community will be rewarded with 15% for Resourcefulness and another 15% for Documentation with good record-keeping of their plant harvest with their activity photo documentation and the submitted feature story write-up.
The top three winning submissions from each province in the Central Visayas region, which includes Negros Oriental and Siquijor, will be acknowledged with a monetary reward and a plaque of recognition.
Those who are interested in participating can inquire with their 4Ps City and Municipal Links for further information on how to enter the competition. ###
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