The Urban Agriculture Project

With the national government’s address for Food Security and Safety, Rizal Technological
University (RTU) in Mandaluyong City, thru its President Dr. Jesus RF. Torres, has taken the lead and initiative in the implementation of the Urban Agriculture Project in selected barangays in the Mandaluyong City area. Dr. Ma. Eugenia Yangco, Director of the University’s Research and Development Center. its project leader, Prof. Alexander Quilang, Co-project leader Prof. Norberto Bautista and Prof. Jovita Anit are currently with the city’s League of Barangays in order to incorporate the plan into each barangay’s projects. Spearheaded by Atty. Jessie Cruz, it aims to implement the project slowly from the university to the grass-root level of the community through dissemination of information on urban agriculture and promotion of vegetable gardening among city dwellers in order to raise home-grown vegetables which will be pesticide-free and readily available. In the future, concept of urban farming can be adopted by other municipalities and cities in Metro Manila.

Urban Agriculture is not new. It is the practice of cultivating, processing, packaging and distributing food in or around a village, town or city. It involves the principles in horticulture, animal science, fisheries, and business. Instead of raising vegetables in the province, it focuses production right in the home, usually in all available spaces like roof top gardens, backyards, vacant residential lots, in school lots or in community parks. Urban farming usually focuses on food production, however, it may also include recreation and relaxation purposes. Urban farming has been successful in countries like the United States, where vegetables are raised in vacant lots to provide the much readily available crops in the area. The vegetables are usually cheap as it does not involve transporting them from long distances.

The main purpose of Urban Agriculture is to increase the amount of food available to the people living in the city and allows fresh vegetables, fruits, meat products to be made available to urban consumers.

With these, some of the activities to be involved in the project will include: (a) Planting / raising of small quantities of vegetable crops / small fruit trees; (b) cultivation of freshwater fish in containers; (c) raising poultry and small livestock ; (d) raising of houseplants for indoor use (residential or office) ; (e) vermi-composting (earthworm) of garden wastes ; and (f) gradual introduction of organic gardening concepts.

Urban Agriculture aims to encourages bio-intensive method of food production, to make the activity more efficient.

The objectives of Urban Agriculture are to make available and affordable food items especially common vegetables in the family household and in the city and in effect lower the expenses on these food items. Through close supervision of production, the project aims to encourage the production of healthy, safe, pesticide-free vegetables. With these, RTU and the Local Government of Mandaluyong aims to make use of vacant lots, residential spaces, balconies and roof-tops for vegetable growing, urban greening, and landscape beautification. With these, it aims to create an alternative means of livelihood to city-residents, especially women and out-of-school youth. This will also encourage entrepreneurship attitudes to its citizens and to encourage composting of organic wastes, recycling of plastic, styro-foam, glass and metal wastes, thereby reducing total waste output

Some of the vegetables and plant crops which are identified to be planted for urban agriculture are: Tomato, Bell Pepper, Hot Pepper, Pechay, Mustard, Upland KangKong, Spinach, Squash, Upo, Patola, Ampalaya, Eggplant, Onion, Shallots, Kinchay, Celery, Okra, Sitaw, Batao, Sweet Potato, Leeks, Basil, Alugbati, Raddish, Carrots, Saluyot, Wingbean, Lettuce, Ube, Papaya, Banana, Corn, Malunggay, Pandan, Katuray, Ginger and Gabi.

For areas with larger planting areas and for longer periods of time, fruit trees maybe included. Fruit trees may include Mango, Kamias, Sampaloc, Jackfruit, Star Apple, Balimbing, Guava, Rambutan, Chico, Makopa, and Guyabano. Non-tree fruits may include Pineapple, and Lakatan Banana.

For more information, contact us at:

The Plant Biotech & Urban Agriculture Project
c/o The Research & Development Center
Rizal Technological University
Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City
E-mail: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com

landline (+632) 534-8267 Local 135
Fax (+632) 534-9710