TARLAC CITY — Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) expressed its support to urban agriculture in sustaining food security in the Philippines amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In an interview, NOLCOM Public Information Officer Major Ericson Bulosan underscored that planting vegetables and other crops in the backyard will limit the soldiers from being exposed to the virus when going out to the market, and help in ensuring food security in the country.
“According to experts, the community quarantine due to COVID-19 might decrease the production of vegetables so we highly encouraged the soldiers and their dependents to engage in urban farming and plant crops on their own backyards, quarters, office or unit,” Bulosan said.
NOLCOM recently partnered with Department of Agriculture to push for the “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Kontra COVID-19” or “Plant, Plant, Plant Program” inside NOLCOM Headquarters and its subordinate units.
The ALPAS COVID-19 project targets to increase the food adequacy level and food security in the country through backyard gardening and urban agriculture.
“More than one hectare of land within the camp was turned into a vegetable farm for corn, string beans, okra, squash, eggplant and other fruit bearing trees. We also have personnel tasked to manage and maintain the project,” he stressed.
Also, Bulosan cited the plans of NOLCOM in improving the ALPAS program inside the camp including the installation of an irrigation system in collaboration with the National Irrigation Administration Tarlac.
“Aside from the irrigation system, we are planning to introduce farming technologies and train more soldiers in urban agriculture similar to the NOLCOM’s previous initiative Sundalo Na, Magsasaka Pa Program,” he stated.