There’s a new kind of security policemen are beginning to uphold. It is food security, one that identifies the home or at their camps where people can grow their own food in tiered racks and tight spaces.
The brainchild of the Police Security and Protection Group advisory council, chaired by Dr. Reghis Romero II (RII), the sustainable agriculture project complements Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte’s “Joy of Urban Farming” (JFP) program, and aims to contribute to the nation’s effort to achieve food security and alleviate mass poverty. It also reflects RII’s active leadership in preserving the environment.
The project provides a nutritious and safe supply of agricultural products and increases the value of agricultural production in urban and peri-urban areas by utilizing environmentally sustainable solutions that respond to current demand for food.
PSPG is comprised of more than 2,000 personnel, which potentially translates to over 2,000 urban farms that can be developed in their homes, which translates to savings and potential income source for their families.
This is aside from the 21 PSPG facilities in Malacañang grounds: Camp Crame, Batasang Pambansa, Intramuros and other satellite offices in the Philippines. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Quezon City Mayor’s Office provide the lectures and the seedlings of green leafy vegetables, which have shallow roots and can be planted in recycled containers.
In two months, members of the PSPG have generated tomato, okra, squash, eggplant, kangkong, peppers, bitter gourd, string beans in their backyards.
With the full support of RII’s PSPG Advisory Council, the PSPG shall achieve the JFP objectives by 2022. This is in support of the agriculture policies in the Philippines seeking to enhance the level of participation of the small landholders to maintain food security and self-sufficiency.