21/07/2026
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ข ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ข ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก๐
The Department of AgricultureโCordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR), through its National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP), continues to strengthen urban farming by providing production support, agricultural technologies, and capacity-building initiatives for farmers in the City of Pines.
Jared Debsio, DA-CAR Agriculturist I and NUPAP staff, speaking on behalf of Senior Agriculturist and NUPAP focal person Miriam Pastor, said the program was developed to support urban farmers, particularly those living in areas where available farming space is limited.
"The program is designed to cater to areas with small spaces," Debsio said.
He said that NUPAP aims to promote food security and food safety by encouraging households and communities to produce their own vegetables.
"At least may prinoproduce na sila sa kanilang backyards o sa locality mismo para may easy accessible source," he said.
Aside from ensuring a readily available food supply, the program also seeks to increase agricultural production in urban communities and create livelihood opportunities by encouraging farmers to develop their production into enterprises.
Among the services offered under NUPAP are production support services, which include the distribution of lowland and upland vegetable seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizers, and farm tools to qualified farmers' cooperatives and associations.
Debsio said the program is currently prioritizing the promotion of organic farming and good agricultural practices in support of food safety.
The program also provides Extension, Support, Education, and Training Services (ESETS), offering training on vegetable production, urban gardening, hydroponics, microgreens, soilless farming systems, beekeeping, mushroom production, and good agricultural practices for farmers and agricultural extension workers.
Through its Agri-Machinery, Equipment, and Facility Services (AMEFS), NUPAP also provides agricultural machinery and infrastructure such as multicultivators, grass cutters, shredders, mushroom production facilities, seedling nurseries, greenhouses, solar-powered hydroponic systems, solar-powered irrigation systems, and automated smart greenhouses to qualified beneficiaries based on approved project proposals.
This year, Debsio said the City Government under Mayor Benjamin Magalong is among the beneficiaries of a smart greenhouse under the program.
To avail of the program's services, individual farmers must be registered under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), while farmers' groups should be accredited as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
Debsio said the DA continues to encourage urban communities to maximize available spaces for food production, helping improve access to fresh and safe vegetables while creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods in the city. โ Ja-el Ahochay, PIO-Baguio Intern/gabykeith
