Mandaue City Government will be distributing additional free seedlings to those who want to venture in urban gardening amid the coronavirus pandemic | Photo courtesy of Mandaue City PIO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – In a bid to further promote urban gardening amid quarantine, the Mandaue City Government will be distributing more plant seedlings to individuals who want to venture on this particular type of horticulture.
The city government’s public information office (PIO) on Friday, August 14, 2020, announced that the City Agriculture Office has transplanted a new batch of seedlings.
“The seedlings will be available next week,” the PIO said.
Last August 10, Mandaue City started giving out free seedlings to residents who planned to embark on vegetable gardening or backyard gardening.
The initiative, local officials said, was designed to ensure food security while quarantine restrictions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are still in place.
“For urban gardening, you do not need a large plot of land, you just need your imagination and a lot of resourcefulness. You can upcycle plastic containers and other containers which you can use as your garden pots. You can also utilize vertical gardening techniques,” local officials said.
The free plants are housed in Mandaue City Agriculture Office inside the compound of the Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas (DA-7) in the city.
Mandaue City, as of August 14, remained under a state of general community quarantine (GCQ). /bmjo