ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. led the awarding ceremony for the top-performing MoRProGRes Gardens at the Iloilo provincial capitol lobby on Friday, April 12, as part of the 123rd Semana sang Iloilo celebration.
MoRProGRes (Movement for a Robust Garden, Globally Competitive and Resilient Province of Iloilo) Gardens was etablished through Defensor’s Executive Order No. 640 in 2022.
MoRProGRes Gardens Contest has three categories:
* academe and technical education institution (college, elementary and secondary level)
* local government unit (LGU) (municipality and barangay)
* private/ business sector/NGO, cooperative/ association (DOT-accredited and DOT Non-accredited)
Here are the winners and their respective cash incentives:
For academe category
Elementary level
* First place – school garden of Tagbac Elementary School from Oton (P200,000)
* Second place – Buylog-Buy Local in our Organic Garden of Guimbal Central Elementary School from Guimbal (P150,000)
* Third place – Gulayan sa Don Bee of Don Benjamin Jalandoni Sr. Memorial Elementary School from Zarraga (P100,000)
Secondary level
* First place – AFS Garden of Progress of Agdahon Farm School from Passi City (P200,000)
College level
* First place – Rainbow Ville of Leon Ganzon Polytechnic College from Balasan (P200,000)
* Second place – La Guerta Verde de ISAT U of La Guerta Verde De ISAT U from Leon (P150,000)
For LGU category
Barangay level
* First place – Nueva Union Community Garden from Passi City (P200,000)
* Second place – communal garden of Barangay Agta, Leon (P150,000)
* Third place – Barangay Pagaypay community garden from Passi City (P100,000)
For municipality level
* First place – Stephen Program of Passi Sweet City Garden from Passi City (P200,000)
* Second place – Mao Santa Barbara of Daga Ecologial S.W.M Center from Santa Barbara (P150,000)
* Third place – Lagwerta de Oton of LGU Oton (P100,000)
For private/ business sector/NGO, cooperative/association category
For DOT-accredited
* First place – Ephrathah Farms in Badiangan (P200,000)
* Second place – ATIZ Integrated Farm in Tigbauan (P150,000)
* Gaja Agri Farm from New Lucena (150,000)
For DOT non-accredited level
* First place – Ganilva JunBee Agri-Farm and Leisure Resort from Concepcion (P200,000)
* Second place – Farmer’s Café from Leganes (150,000)
* Third place – Bugana Agri-Farm from Calinog (P100,000)
Gov. Defensor said the contest was a big success with 252 entries.
“This is a very big success. Ang resulta nga ginatulok naton sang ginaplastar pa lang ini nga project nakuha ta gid. MoRProGRes Gardening is a program for food security, tourism and also a climate response,” Defensor said during the awarding ceremony.
The governor said MoRProGRes Gardens is significant in ensuring the province’s food security because Ilonggos need not go to other areas anymore to buy vegetables.
“Indi na sia 100 percent or total solution for food security but ang importante nga makadugang kita sang mga ulotanan sa aton nga lamesa. We want it available kon mahimu pa lang sa barangay level, sa schools,” he added.
MoRProGRes Gardens incorporates the production of high-value crops for food security, blending ornamental gardening and landscaping for agri-tourism and use of recycled/upcycled materials as a climate change response.
And because of the success of this first MoRProGRes Garden Contest, the governor is eyeing to level up the contest next year by re-launching and aligning the program with that of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“We will level up. We will re-launch the program and align it with the program of DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos,” hambal ni Defensor./PN
