When the National Government imposed restrictions across Luzon in the first quarter of 2020 due to the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus 2 or SARS-CoV2, the virus responsible for the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), and forced many families to stay at home amidst the lack of sufficient food supplies, the importance of food sufficiency in the household level could not be overstated.
This is especially true for urban areas where there are limited food production activities.
Not surprisingly, small communities which are greatly dependent on donations and relief activities are the most affected. And even though the government has of late, somewhat loosened the quarantine restrictions in the country due to the positive outcome of the government vaccination program, the importance of preparing the communities for similar challenges in the future must be realized.
And in light of this, the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office III (DOST-III) together with the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) came to the rescue and spearheaded the provision of appropriate interventions to the Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin De Porres, Inc. (BYSMPI), an orphanage in Bustos, Bulacan including the Pinggang Pinoy, a program by DOST-Food and Nutrition Institute that advocates balanced diet among children including the residents of the said orphanage.
For almost two decades, Rev. Fr. Florentino Concepcion led BYSMPI in providing shelter to hundreds of orphaned and abused children. At present, the community is home to 143 children from different urban poor communities not only in Bulacan but also in other parts of Region III, Metro Manila, Region IV-A, and in MIMAROPA region.
Of the 16 hectares of land owned and managed by BYSMPI, more than 8 hectares is being used for rice farming. Although this farming activities help supply a number of children’s nutritional requirements, BYSMPI is still mainly dependent on donations from various individuals and private organizations based locally and abroad.
To help BYSMPI provide for a balanced diet on the table for the residents of this community, DOST-III partnered with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office III, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bulacan Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Central Luzon State University, and Pampanga State Agricultural University in putting up free range chicken production, aquaponics and vertical farming system, tilapia production systems, vegetable gardens, and brown rice milling facility.
The strategic establishment of these facilities would ensure the sustainability of the Pinggang Pinoy program.
The implementation of the project on the other hand has transformed this Institution into a resilient and self-sustaining community with little dependence on external support. Adoption of the science and technology-based interventions have likewise provided an additional source of income for the BYSMPI community. Aside from the potential source of income from selling their excess produce, DOST-III has also recently partnered with BYSMPI as a supplier of free-range chicken stocks to Indigenous Peoples Communities in Pampanga.
Indeed, when you use science and technology to bring solutions to a variety of problems, you will be surprised at the end-less possibilities.# (Michael Carlo C. Mariano, SRS-II, PSTC-Bulacan)
