Food insufficiency is one of the problems the country is facing especially in areas under lockdown. Farmers can’t bring their produce to the market due to road closures and border controls. Meanwhile, the cost of food continues to rise alongside its increase in demand.

With more than four million unemployed Filipinos, the government finds urban agriculture necessary to address hunger. As part of the efforts to promote urban agriculture during the pandemic, the Department of Agriculture urges residents and building owners to transform their rooftops and verandas into vegetable gardens.

Currently, the pending proposed bills for Urban Agriculture are Senate Bill 141 “Integrated Urban Agriculture Act of 2016” and the House Bill 8385, “an act promoting integrated urban agriculture in urban areas nationwide to address food security.”

Senate Bill 141 seeks to promote urban agriculture and vertical farming in household backyards while the House Bill 8385 aims to convert idle, abandoned lands, buildings, and open spaces into urban gardens.

Since 2011, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Las Pinas has been practicing Urban agriculture through Senator Cynthia Villar’s project. Not long after, the project was expanded to Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Bataan.

More recently, Senator Villar and Las Pinas Representative Camille Villar aired a webinar during International Women’s Day (March 8) through the Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) Foundation. The program entitled “Kabuhayan Para sa Kababaihan sa Mapanghamong Panahon” in partnership with East-West Seed Foundation Inc provided women with knowledge and skills to practice urban farming.

The East-West Seed Foundation Inc also teaches Urban Farming in four farm schools under the Villar SIPAG Foundation which are Las Piñas-Bacoor, San Jose Del Monte-Bulacan, San Miguel Iloilo and in Davao City.

Other LGUs that have been promoting urban agriculture since the pandemic started are Bacolod, Pasig, and Quezon.