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Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines - Legislation To Set Up Policies For The Establishment Of Allotment Gardens All Over The City

Source of News Article:
German gov't assures more funds for garden

Monday, January 23, 2006 German gov't assures more funds for garden

THE government of Germany would fund more allotment gardens in Cagayan de Oro City if the existing projects are successfully sustained.

Karin Jahr de Guerrero, development coordinator of the German Embassy, made this assurance during the recent inauguration of the city's fifth allotment garden in San Isidro, Barangay Kauswagan.

Guerrero's commitment was in response to the request of Councilor Caesar Ian Acenas for the German government to continue supporting the implementation of these projects in more barangays in the city.

Allotment gardens enable poor families to plant vegetables in vacant and idle lots for their consumption and sell them to increase their household income.

Acenas, who represented Mayor Vicente Emano during the inauguration rites, said the City Council is now preparing a legislation that would institutionalize and set up policies for the establishment of allotment gardens all over the city.

He said a joint meeting of the committees on environment, which he chairs and on agriculture chaired by Councilor Annie Daba, has been scheduled to tackle the proposed ordinance.

The proposed legislation, he said, would include incentives to lot owners who allow the use of their lands for the project.

He said this might be in the form of tax credits, among others, to encourage them to be part of the program for poverty alleviation.

Aside from benefiting from incentives, Acenas said, the lot owners would protect their properties against squatters and have a major role in environment protection.

As this developed, he thanked the German government for selecting the city as the project site.

Acenas also expressed the city's gratefulness to Dr. Robert Holmer, Periurban Vegetable Project director, and other agencies for their partnership in the endeavor to uplift the lives of residents.

The five allotment gardens are implemented with the technical assistance of the GTZ, in cooperation with the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office, Agricultural Productivity Office, and the barangay governments.

Acenas said this technology is also being adopted in Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia and the city is privileged to have been chosen as a project area.

He expressed optimism that with the joint efforts of the agencies and the community, and the hard work of the beneficiaries, the project could be sustained. (Trends)

Philippine Allotment Gardens

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