Soldiers learn urban farming amid lockdown

Military personnel learn about the benefits of urban gardening from Department of Agriculture staff during a seminar at Camp Aguinaldo Saturday. Photo courtesy of TSG Randul Obinque/PAO AFP

MANILA, Philippines—Soldiers stationed inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City were introduced to urban gardening while Metro Manila is on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines paired up with the Department of Agriculture to conduct a day-long introductory seminar about the benefits of urban gardening to the soldiers and their dependents who are living inside the General Headquarters.

Robert Blanco of the Bureau of Plant Industry conducted the seminar as part of the initiative “Ahon Lahat, Paging Sapat Kontra COVID-19,” which was launched on April 28, with the aim of educating about the benefits of urban gardening.

“Through this, our soldiers and their families will be able to ensure the availability and sustainability of food, and provide an alternative livelihood during our nation’s battle against the dreaded virus,” AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr said.

The soldiers were shown a practical demonstration and a tour of different urban farming model sites inside the “OJ7 Urban Farming Garden” in the GHQ.

Major General Edgardo De Leon, the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations, joined the seminar and personally toured the participants to the vegetable garden inside his office.

The initiative, though, would not be limited inside Camp Aguinaldo as the AFP directed its unit commanders to implement and support sustainable food production inside their respective camps.

“With aid from the Department of Agriculture, it is high time for us to pursue this endeavor not just to give us temporary point of supply during this time of crisis but also to provide us with sustainable source of essential goods,” said Santos.