The local government here has distributed seeds to at least 10,000 households, as Mayor Elgin Malaluan urged his constituents to go back to farming and make use of vacant lands to plant vegetables or herbs that can help them put food on the table during the health crisis.

“The local government can only do so much, so we need to help ourselves to sustain our daily living. And since Mindoro is an agricultural province and Bongabong is the center of organic farming of the province, we have decided to give away seeds and seedlings to the residents and we asked to utilize even the smallest vacant lot that they can use for planting,” Malaluan said on Thursday.

Malaluan has been an advocate of organic farming, and the distribution of seeds is part of his ongoing program called “Gulayan sa Bakuran”, which encourages residents to make use of their backyards to plant fast-growing vegetables and crops such as petchay, okra, squash, eggplant, and string beans, among others.

“We still have a lot of questions regarding this Covid-19 and we cannot just rely on dole-out, we need to do something that can help us with our daily lives. These are just seeds, and they seem like they are worthless. But when you see them bloom one by one and after just a few weeks when you begin to harvest your first okra, petchay, kamatis (tomato), you will feel good about yourself not just because you have something to put on your table but you realized that you can grow your own food,” he said.

Meanwhile, Councilor Nino Liwanag said the local government has recently acquired an “Intelligent Thermometry Disinfection” system to ensure the safety of employees and everyone who visits the municipal hall of Bongabong.

“It will check your body temperature, gives alcohol, and misting in a cubicle, ” Liwanag said.

The municipal government has already distributed its fifth wave of relief supplies to residents while giving more importance to senior citizens.

Malaluan said they assured that the elderly will have enough food, vitamins to strengthen their immune system, some organic milk, canned goods, and other food supplies to help them cope with the challenges of the coronavirus disease.

“They are the most fragile members of our communities and we want to honor them with all the help we could give them,” he said. (PNA)