Instead of giving canned goods and ready-to-eat foods, the local government of Imus City has started their so-called ‘community plant-tree’ wherein they distributed fruits and vegetables seedlings to their residents.
This initiative is part of their City Environment and Natural Resources Office’s (CENRO)and the City Agricultural Services Office’s efforts to show their residents the importance of nature especially during a pandemic.
“Dumating ‘yung panahon na ‘pag tayo tinamaan ng COVID, mahihirapan tayo huminga, kailangan natin ng oxygen tank. So talagang isang reyalisasyon sa atin na balewala ‘yung materyal na bagay… So, naisip namin, panahon ng COVID [ngayon], kailangan ng malinis na hangin,” CENRO head Doris Sagenes said in a Facebook live.
Posted by Cenro Imus on Sunday, May 23, 2021
Aside from giving free seedlings and compost soil, the Imus LGU also taught the residents the basic knowledge about planting and backyard gardening.
“Panahon ng pandemya, kailangan palakasin mo ang katawan mo… Ang kailangan natin mga masusustansyang pagkain… Bakit kailangan mo pang bumili [kung] pagkakataon na natin ‘to, magtanim ka na lang sa ating mga looban,” Sagenes reiterated.
Moreover, Imus City eyes to launch its “Urbancienda,” a project which will promote urban plantation as it also aims to be known as one of the green cities in the country.
Meanwhile, City Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi encouraged the residents to continue to support the environmental and agricultural projects they have.
“Minsan kasi hindi na-aappreciate ng tao ‘yung mga gano’n. Pero ito talaga, produktong Imus talaga ito. Para mabigyan and makita ‘yung kanilang contribution in spite of the pandemic, mayroon silang natutulong,” Maliksi ended.
