Ni: JHOMEL SANTOS

MAGANDANG pagkakataon ang enhanced community quarantine upang magkaroon ng produktibong gawain gaya ng home gardening, ayon kay Sen. Cynthia Villar.

Sinabi ni Villar, chairperson ng Committee on Agriculture and Food and on Environment and Natural Resources, na magandang oportunidad ang work suspension at mandatory home stay para makapagsimula ng makabuluhang gawain sa bahay.

“Sa atin na nasanay na laging may ginagawa, nahihirapan tayo paano papalipasin ang oras. Planting is something you can start alone or with your family. It’s a way of introducing agriculture to our children,” ayon kay Villar.

Ayon kay Villar, may tutorials sa internet tungkol basic instructions sa home garden.

“Hindi kailangan ng malaking lupain. You can plant in small spaces or containers and start with crop varieties that are easy to grow like pechay, sili, tomato, eggplant, okra, calamansi, among others,” sabi pa ni Villar.

Idinagdag pa ni Villar na dapat isulong ang urban agriculture at vertical gardening para manatili ang mga tao sa kanilang bahay upang maiwasan ang pagkalat ng COVID-19.

Palagiang isinusulong ng senador ang home gardening bilang food security strategy at ready source ng pagkain lalo na sa panahon ng stress gaya ng bagyo, frost, volcanic eruption at sa oras ng health emergency.

“Not only can home gardening help enhance food security, it will also help families alleviate micronutrient deficiencies by providing direct access to nutritious foods that they don’t have to buy,” pahayag pa ng senador.

Hinimok din niya ang ang trainees na nagtapos ng Agricrops Production course sa Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG) Farm Schools na ikonsidera ang pagbibigay ng online tutorials sa mga pamilya at kaibigan at himukin silang magtanim.

“In between monitoring the news and doing household chores, we should also take steps to boost our immune system while at home. In this aspect, the physical activity involved in gardening will also do us good,” dagdag pa niya.