Backyard veggies will cushion inflation impact, says Villar

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar believes urban vegetable gardening is the right community response to the high cost of commodities, especially food products, to ensure food-sufficiency among families.

Villar, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, said families should learn to practice urban gardening so they can produce their own greens and vegetables and save hard-earned incomes for other basic needs.

"Inflation is high. Everything is so expensive now, especially our food products. Vegetables are among the food produce the cost of which have gone considerably up. But we can counter this. Urban gardening is possible even in the most crowded areas. You should seriously consider this new norm to ensure not only food on your tables, but the health of your family as well," Villar told an audience of 180 farmers and farm enthusiasts and hobbyists who attended the graduation and Harvest Festival training in Urban Vegetable Farming at the Villar SIPAG Farm School Las Piñas-Bacoor.

Villar added: "Life is hard. Every centavo of our hard-earned incomes are valuable to us. We can use the money we can save if we don't buy vegetables anymore to buy other basic commodities, or pay bills. We should all learn to adapt to the difficult times."

Villar made the comments as she lauded participants to the training, which was sponsored by the Villar SIPAG in partnership with the Allied Botanical Corporation. Participants came from Las Piñas, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and nearby cities of Metro Manila.

The training program consisted of lectures and hands-on training on basic urban agriculture, seed preparation, plant propagation, sustainable cropping, garden management and proper harvesting.

Villar said households can practice urban farming even in communities where living spaces are cramped and land use is limited by planting vegetables and seedlings in small pots and empty plastic containers to have their own vegetable gardens for their family's supply of nutritious greens.

The senator said urban vegetable gardening will not only address food sufficiency but will likewise promote health and wellness of families.

Villar is the author of Senate Bill No. 141, or the Integrated Urban Agriculture Act of 2016.