A total of 3,045 out of the 4,051 barangays of Western Visayas have established the government’s HAPAG (Halina’t Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay) sa Barangay Project as of February this year, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

From July 2023 until Feb 2024, the gardens have generated 237 kilograms of assorted vegetables and yielded 67,000 kilograms of assorted fruits, impacting food security, and providing income totaling PHP22.844 million to barangays (villages).

From community projects, it has expanded to the backyards of over 86,000 households.

“We issued a memo for all barangays, especially those with vacant lots to plant so there is a mini-garden in every barangay. We target highly urbanized cities because they have limited spaces but there is a need for more food,” said DILG Western Visayas Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero in an interview on Thursday.

He said the mandate of the barangay is to help poor residents to at least have food for daily sustenance.

Based on the Local Government Code, Sections 16 and 17, it is mandatory because it is part of their mandate to ensure that they respond to the well-being of their residents, he said.

Under the HAPAG, the barangay will no longer depend on higher local government units because they can already provide for their constituents.

He added that all provincial directors have been directed to monitor and ensure that all barangay adopt the program.

Ingeniero said the project is also part of the requirements for the Seal of Good Local Governance Barangay Level.

He said that the project aims to strengthen the capacities of barangays towards sustainable agriculture. (PNA)