Contributed photo
The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) is promoting backyard and urban gardening as an additional source of food and livelihood for poor communities.
PCUP Commissioner Reynaldo Galupo on Tuesday received vegetable seeds and fruit-bearing seedlings from the Bureau of Plant Industry during a simple turnover ceremony at the BPI office in Malate, Manila.
The planting materials were provided after Galupo requested support for urban poor households with available backyard or open spaces that could be used for food production.
The donation included seeds for eggplant, sweet pepper, upo, tomato, and okra, along with seedlings of santol, jackfruit, atis, cacao, and banana.
Galupo said the initiative was prompted by requests from urban poor communities in Mindanao, Palawan, and Cebu for planting materials while their livelihood assistance applications with the Department of Labor and Employment were still being processed.
He said livelihood grants from DOLE and other partner agencies usually take time because of required procedures, prompting PCUP to encourage families to make productive use of available spaces through backyard gardening and community greening.
The seeds and seedlings will be distributed to partner communities and organizations to support household food supply, environmental awareness, and sustainable local development.
Galupo thanked the BPI and other government partners for helping PCUP provide practical support to marginalized communities seeking ways to become more self-reliant.