The Department of Agriculture (DA-7) urged households to engage in home gardening to ensure food safety and security.
National Nutrition Council (NNC-7) Nutrition program coordinator Paolita Mission said that the region is still far from being food secured as there are still a significant number of households that skip meals.
Mission said that growing their own food in their backyards would ensure that a family has access to adequate and safe food.
Salvador Diputado, Regional Executive Director of DA-7, assured that they are willing to provide seedlings, equipment and training for those who would want to start their own backyard garden.
He added that families should also engage in growing livestock to make sure the meat that they eat is free from chemicals.