Local demand for organic vegetables in Los Baños, Laguna is increasing. However, the current supply falls short of meeting the demand particularly of restaurants in nearby resorts. Related to this, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) and the local government unit (LGU) collaborated in providing low-income communities of Los Baños with a gender-based, science-based, livelihood project on organic vegetable production in 2014.
This year, DOST-PCAARRD approved funding of the project’s Phase 2 titled, Gender-Responsive Organic Vegetable Production Livelihood Enterprise for Low-Income Communities of Los Baños, Laguna. The project will be implemented by the Municipal Agriculture and Gender and Development offices of LGU in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crops Research and Development Center.
Phase 2 is a replication and expansion of Phase 1 project. It will focus on gender empowerment activities in the aspects of organizational strengthening, farm production, marketing, and capacity building. Beneficiaries include low-income residents of barangays Putho-Tuntungin, Bagong Silang, Timugan, Bambang, Malinta, and Bayog.
Los Baños Mayor Caesar P. Perez received the symbolic cheque representing the project funds amounting to P4,261,504 from Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, Acting DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director, during the turnover ceremony.
Dr. Ebora commended the strong support and effective implementation of LGU in implementing the previous project, which led to expanding its benefits to other low-income residents of Los Baños. He acknowledged the presence of the beneficiaries and hoped that the project will be able to address their needs for alternative additional income-generating venture.
Mayor Perez explained the town’s vision in relation to organic vegetable production, as he also talked how the project could address the need of the barangays for irrigation, especially in the remote town of Bagong Silang. He also said that the farmer cooperators could sell their produce at the municipal office of Los Baños without any financial obligations.