ANGELES CITY –Mayor Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin has ordered the distribution of vegetable saplings to the community pantries operating in the city, to further strengthen food security for Angeleños.
“Sa panahon na mas marami po ang mga nangangailangan, nakatataba po ng puso na mas marami pa rin ang nais magbahagi ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan. Kaisa po ninyo ako sa layunin na pagtibayin ang ‘bayanihan spirit’ sa ating siyudad,” Lazatin uttered in delight.
Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel on April 22, 2021, with Angeles City Economic Development Investment Promotions Office and Angeles City Barangay Outreach, spearheaded the distribution of tomato and eggplant saplings to each community pantry.
Among the pantries active throughout the city are JK Community Pantry in front of Tollhouse; two community pantries in Barangay Sto. Rosario – near Landbank and near Holy Rosary Parish Church; Barangay Pulung Cacutud; Barangay Lourdes Sur; near Astro Park in Barangay Balibago; Barangay Claro M. Recto; Nepo Community Pantry; Barangay Sta. Teresita; and in Abacan Barangay Malabanias.
Prior to the saplings distribution, Lazatin also donated his two-month salary worth P228,000 to purchase 240 boxes of corned beef and 57 sacks of rice for the community pantries.
Amid the pandemic, the city government has launched the Luntian Lingap sa Barangay Project which aims for Angeleños to use their backyard or vacant lot for urban gardening, providing an alternative sustainable food source for Angelenos.
In fact, seedlings were distributed then to 33 barangays alongside the 547,137 food packages.
The city government allocated P5.5 million worth of seeds for this project for the distribution of free seeds such as okra, sitaw, petchay, mustasa, upo, kalabasa, sili, tomato, and talong.
In 2019, plant and tree seedlings were made available to the public for free at the City Agriculture Office. Available seed types were ornamental, herbal, fruit-bearing, vegetables, and forestry plants or trees.
The city government is also doing its part in preserving and conserving the environment through various activities including a tree planting activity last March 19, 2021 where 113 female City Hall employees and volunteers planted 600 trees in the Barangay Sapangbato Watershed.
This is also to support the call to restore nature as part of the celebration of Earth Day 2021.