TO roll out interventions for food production and availability throughout army units in Caraga region, the Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade on Thursday has started implementing its backyard gardening, a military official said today.
“This is to ensure food-secure army units in Caraga region much more in time of the health emergency period,” said Civil Military Operations chief Major Francisco Garello.
Garello said the program was through the Department of Agriculture’s urban agricultural program dubbed as “Ahon Lahat Pagkaing Sapat Kontra sa COVID-19” or “ALPAS sa Covid-19.”
He said the brigade and DA Caraga even held a two-day technical briefing and orientation seminar on April 23-24, 2020 at the 402nd Brigade headquarters in Barangay Bancasi, Butuan City.
Twenty-two organic personnel of the Brigade to include those tenant units inside Bancasi military reservation participated in the activity facilitated by Caraga DA.
“With this pandemic, there is tightening of food supply and we know that when there is not enough food, disorder is probable, so as this “Alpas sa Covid-19 started,” said Garello.
He said a one-hectare land of the brigade will be used for vegetable gardening, vermicast production, corn seeds and mushroom production, poultry production, and goat raising.
“Three boxes of mushroom seedlings have already been received by the brigade for mushroom production,” said Garello.
“DA will also deliver 200 to 300 chickens for poultry or free-range chickens farming next week,” said Garello.
DA Caraga Asst. Regional Director, Nicandro M Navia said that with the Alpas sa Covid-19 program, the DA will provide Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the conduct of various training and methods on urban farming.
“We are really happy to be partnering with the AFP. The threat of COVID-19 is as real as the threat of hunger,” he said.
Meanwhile, Army’s 402nd Brigade Commander, Brig. General Maurito Licudine, said that the activity will promote and support food production as the unit already anticipated the food shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis by conducting backyard gardening.
“It will enhance the capability and technical skills of the troops on urban farming and acquire knowledge on other alternative sources of food to keep our troops busy while strictly observing the Home Quarantine protocol inside the camp,” Licudine said.
“As an agricultural country, we will not starve if we know how to plant, hence, we are very glad about this ALPAS program initiated by the DA with its technical staff for the benevolence and support on helping us learn the scientific methods of planting,” said Licudine adding that they can ample food while performing their task in support of the task force Covid-19, ‘One Caraga Shield and PNP in this pandemic crisis. (Ben Balce)
