Iloilo City has designated every Saturday as cleanup and garden cultivation day in the city.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said one of the objectives of the initiative is to prevent the spread of dengue in the area.

“While the cases of dengue are not alarming, we should make sure it will not go up,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.

Treñas, through Executive Order 89 signed on June 24, ordered barangay officials to clean their respective areas and encourage their constituents to do the same.

“The Iloilo City Environment and Natural Resources Office… shall ensure the cleaning of the surrounding of each barangay, ensure the proper and continued cultivation of public gardens, and also identify, assess, and designate actual areas suitable for cultivating gardens where no public gardens exist yet,” the order read.

It will be done with the assistance of the Greening and Beautification Division under the City Mayor’s Office, City Agriculture Office, departments, divisions, and other offices of the local government.

Treñas said he is planning to hold an annual contest for the best garden because he wanted more barangays to embark on gardening projects.

City Agriculture Office head Iñigo Garingalao said the initiative will allow residents to concentrate on gardening, which he said, in addition to promoting food security, is also good for mental health.

“It will definitely boost our campaign. It will allot time for our gardening, resulting in a better environment and greening. It will result in food on our tables and nutritious food, and it will result in community work in barangays. It will allow a space where they can relax while gardening,” he said.

To date, 71 barangays are participating in the city government’s “Jerry P. Treñas edible landscaping or JPT Ediscape” urban gardening project.

Meanwhile, 20 barangays and over 200 daycare centers will be joining the second round of container gardening this year.

The city’s agriculture office also continues to promote peri-urban agriculture or agriculture in areas surrounding large population centers.

Several private and government offices that underwent training with the City Agriculture Office in the first quarter of this year are expected to join the urban gardening program.

“Our promotion of food security is getting popular,” Garingalao said. (PNA)