02/05/2024
𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗸’𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁
Baguio City, May 2, 2024 – The City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) and local communities of Baguio City are coming together to celebrate Urban Farmers’ Month, a time to honor the hard work and dedication of our farmers and fisherfolk. This year’s theme, “𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗸𝗮’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼, 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗴, 𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗮𝘆, 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝘆𝗼.” This event coincides with the National Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month and has become a well-established tradition in the City of Baguio, as officially recognized by 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝟬𝟯𝟱, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴. It underscores the significance of sustainable farming practices, food security, and community engagement. This place-making event fosters awareness, education, and appreciation for local produce.
This year’s celebration highlights the following activities which will run from 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟱-𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱:
𝗕𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘆 𝗞𝘂𝗯𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
The heart of the celebration lies in showcasing the rich diversity of our agricultural heritage. The Bahay Kubo and Agriculture-Based Products Display Competition is a vibrant display of locally grown produce. Participating Barangays and farmers set up unique stalls adorned with native and recycled materials, reminiscent of the iconic “bahay kubo” or nipa hut. Community people and visitors can experience the abundance of harvest which include fresh fruits and vegetables, honey and by-products, dairy products, eggs, walis tambo, processed products such as strawberry jam, fruit wines, tapey, peanut butter, among others, and other agricultural products, each telling a story of the Barangay and its people. After the judging on the 15th of May, all showcased agricultural produce will be sold to consumers until the 24th of May, 2024.
𝗞𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘄𝗮 𝗡𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗼: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀
Another highlight of Farmers’ Month is the Kadiwa Ng Pangulo (KNP) program. KNP aims to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers by eliminating unnecessary middlemen. KNP provides consumers with access to quality and safe food items while ensuring that farm producers have a ready market.
KNP is an inter-agency collaboration involving the City Government, Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Together, we create a seamless market linkage for agricultural goods which are more affordable for the consumers while ensuring higher profit for our farmers by eliminating a multi-layer marketing intermediaries.
𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲
In the spirit of celebrating agriculture heritage, Farmers’ Month also features a Seed Exchange where farmers share seeds of traditional crops, preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable agriculture. Seed exchanges facilitate the conservation of diverse plant varieties. Participants share seeds from their own gardens or farms, contributing to the preservation of heirloom, rare, and indigenous plant species. By exchanging seeds, we prevent the loss of genetic diversity caused by monoculture practices and the dominance of commercial hybrid seeds.
𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Urban Agriculture Technology Exhibition showcases cutting-edge techniques for growing food in urban spaces. From hydroponics and aquaponics to vertical gardens, visitors learn how to maximize limited land and resources. Urban Agriculture Technology Exhibit will be participated by Benguet State University (BSU), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Dontog Farm, and Mr. Ronaldo Ferrer.
𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗭𝗼𝗼 (𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗻) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗥𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
A petting barn is a delightful place where visitors, especially children, can interact with friendly animals up close. This activity, in partmership with the DA-Baguio Animal Breeding and Research Center, will be supervised by CVAO’s accredited animal show veterinarian and it is designed to provide a safe and educational experience, allowing people to touch, feed, and learn about various animals such as sheep, rabbits, chickens, bees, ornamental fish, and pony. Pet owners can also avail anti-rabies vaccination for free on May 15-16, 2024.
As we celebrate Farmers’ Month, we honor the unwavering commitment of our farmers and fisherfolk. Their tireless efforts sustain our meals, nourish our bodies, and contribute to the strength of our nation. By purchasing their produce, we can prevent them from being compelled to transition to other economic endeavors, thus avoiding the risk of food insecurity.
