Director Junel B. Soriano of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and UPLB professor and former chancellor, Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. led the turnover ceremony of the Batasan Hills Residential Edible Landscape Gardens on Feb. 18 to the Batasan Hills local government unit (LGU).

The turnover ceremony was held at the Multipurpose Hall at Filinvest II cor. Gate II, Brgy. Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

The residential EL Gardens were established for 14 households of the Star Homeowners Association, Inc. (Star HOA) in Brgy. Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

The households, each with an average of five family members, had earlier been identified as sites of urban agriculture and garden-to-table food demonstration for the edible landscaping technology amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative was part of a project entitled, “Edible Landscaping in Urban Communities Toward Self-Sufficiency” funded by DA-BAR.

It is also in line with the Plant, Plant, Plant program of DA in pursuit of food-resilient communities amidst the pandemic.

Joining the ceremony were key officials from the local government led by Emmanuel Hugh “Nonong” Velasco, Quezon City Food Security Task Force co-chair, John “Jojo” Abad, Batasan Hills Purok Leader, Marjorie S. Yee, Star HOA secretary, and Leslie Magpantay, DA-Agricultural Training Institute representative. (Remuel O. Torres, Maria Charito E. Balladares, and Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr.)