TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- Department of Agriculture (DA) Cagayan Valley Regional Executive Director Lorenzo Caranguian encouraged employees of DA Regional Field Office 02 (DA-RFO 02) to have vegetable gardens in their respective homes.
In a press release on Facebook on Tuesday, Feburary 27, Caranguian said this activity aims to promote organic, safe, and ready to eat vegetable foods for DA-RFO2 employees’ families.
The regional executive director made the challenge in his program called “Director’s Hour” on DWDA 105.3 FM Radyo Pangkaunlaran.
Caranguian also said in his program that DA-RFO 02 will give assorted vegetable seeds to employees for them to plant in their yards.
He also added that vegetable gardening will not be a problem because employees can apply the methods of urban or container gardening.
“Ang isang puno ng kalamansi o dalawang puno ng talong sa ating bakuran ay malaking tulong na sa atin,” he said.
Meanwhile, DA-RFO 02 said they will also hold a monthly “Gulay Cooking Challenge” starting this March to promote vegetable production and to raise per capita consumption of vegetables in the region.
In this challenge, open for both DA employees and the public, contestants are tasked to cook a specific kind of vegetable dish such as “dinengdeng” or “inabraw” of Ilocanos, DA said in the release.
A particular vegetable will be assigned as category of the month. From here, it is up to the challengers on how to cook their dish. DA said.
Further, challengers will have to take a selfie with their entry, list down the ingredients, and share their cooking process. This will be posted later on in DA Rehiyon Dos Facebook account wherein challengers will also have to tag their FB friends.
DA RFO2 will select monthly winners through the criteria: nutritional value (25%), availability (25%), economic value (25%), and originality (25%). Winners will receive cash prizes or freebies from DA.
Meanwhile this July, DA will partner with Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct the same activity which will be competed in by elementary pupils and high school students from around the region.
DA RFO2 said in their release that this program aims to inform the youth about the benefits and importance of eating vegetables.
The activity will be in time for the national celebration of Nutrition Month led by the Department of Health. Northenforum.net
