Two green thumbs up!
This was the reaction over the weekend of Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles to the growing popularity of growing plants at home, particularly those that yield produce like vegetables and fruit, as this would encourage Filipino families to eat what they grow and possibly increase their vegetable intake.
Speaking in Filipino, Nograles said that more Filipinos should become “plantitos” and “plantitas” as “growing your own food, your own vegetables, has many benefits.”
More Filipinos should become “plantitos” and “plantitas” as “growing your own food, your own vegetables, has many benefits.”
“Plantitos” and “plantitas” are a combination of the words “plant” and “tito” or “tita.” The words “tito” and “tita” are Filipino for “uncle” and “aunt,” respectively.
The terms became popular during the lockdowns as Metro Manila residents began purchasing and bringing home plants to add some green to their homes.
With urban gardening becoming more commonplace, plantitos and plantitas have started growing food-producing plants such as herbs and tomatoes.
“Ako, full support ako dito. In fact, in Task Force Zero Hunger (TFZH), we promote urban gardening, community gardens, urban agriculture so that homes and communities have their own supplies of vegetables in their own backyards and are assured of access to nutritious food,” explained the TFZH head.
“We hope this culture of urban and home gardening takes root in our country. We should go beyond being plantitos and plantitas––dapat maging vegetitos and vegetitas na rin tayo.”
The “Gulayan sa Barangay” (GSB) program as a means to ensure that communities have a steady source of healthy produce for their residents.
The Palace official also urged barangays to adopt the “Gulayan sa Barangay” (GSB) program as a means to ensure that communities have a steady source of healthy produce for their residents.
In an August 2019 memorandum circular, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) had earlier directed all local government units to adopt the GSB program and establish organic gardens in their jurisdictions “to ensure a sustainable supply of organic produce and encourage the community to be self-sufficient.”
The DILG directive was an offshoot of a Department of Agriculture-National Organic Agriculture Board resolution that recommended that LGUs establish organic gardens via the GSB, consistent with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.