Quezon City officials and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) launched a vegetable and tree-planting project called the “Community Pan-Tree.”
The officials, led by District 2 Councilor Winnie Castelo and his wife Rep. Precious Hipolito Castelo, started the project over the weekend in Sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Holy Spirit, which is part of the Castelos’ constituency.
He pointed out that in crowded urban areas, residents of high-rise buildings grow vegetables and herbs on pots and rooftops.
“This is an example of cooperation between government agencies and the community for providing livelihood to the poor especially during this time of Covid-19 pandemic,” Councilor Castelo said.
Pan-Tree would complement the concept of community pantries, which also started in Quezon City and which distributes donated food items to the poor, he said.
“The difference is that in Pan-Tree, we encourage people to plant vegetables for their own consumption and tree seedlings that contribute to greening the environment. We want them to join the legions of plantitas and plantitos by growing edible plants,” he said.
Castelo added that vegetable and tree seedlings would be planted on vacant lots and other open spaces, and on home gardens.
He pointed out that in crowded urban areas, residents of high-rise buildings grow vegetables and herbs on pots and rooftops.
“We want them to join the legions of plantitas and plantitos by growing edible plants.”
He said they plan to ask the Department of Agriculture, particularly the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI), to join the Pan-Tree project.
“BPI personnel could teach our people how to make home and community gardens viable and sustainable. The bureau could be our principal source of vegetable and herb seeds and seedlings,” he said.
Earlier, the Castelos, joined by barangay officials and policemen belonging to Station 6 in the Batasan area, organized a community pantry in Barangay Batasan Hills, which is also part of their district.
