50 farmers finish urban agri training

CEBU, Philippines — Close to 50 residents from two barangays in Cebu City have completed a 14-week urban agriculture training, the city’s news and information office reported over the weekend.

Participants include 27 individuals from Barangay Mambaling and 21 from Barangay Carreta.

The SMFI, the social good arm of the SM Group of Companies, initiated the program specifically to help train urban farmers on technological updates, capacity building, financial literacy, livelihood development, market opportunities, and empowerment as potential agri-preneurs.

SM Group founder, the late Henry Sy, started the program in 2007 to create a sustainable program that would update farming skills, food security, and sustainable livelihood know-how of low income farmers to uplift their lives.

Along with SMFI, the program was also initiated alongside the City’s Agriculture Department, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor and Employment; the Department of Trade and Industry; and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

A moving up ceremony for the “Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture” program was done at the SM Seaside City where participants received a National Certification 2 assessment in Organic Agriculture from TESDA.

During the final day, City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon told the graduates that their office will provide assistance to the participants to improve their urban gardening skills through the use of the city’s South Road Properties farm.

“We will give you a shuttle para pag-transport sa inyo mga participants. And all the rest nga gusto moanha diha pick-up-pon sa inyong lugar and dad-on ta mo sa farm. Pagkahapon mobalik pod mo sa inyo,” Baclayon told the participants.

Along with this, CAD said, they will be putting up a bigger nursery at the SRP.

“To ensure pa gyud nga naa gyud moy klaro didto nga supply sa inyong gikinahanglan like the seedlings, the fertilizers, including the technology, magbutang pod ko didto og dako-dako nga nursery,” Baclayon said. (CEBU NEWS)