LIPA City’s “Barangulayan” project is worth emulating for other local government units (LGUs).
Not only that it offers a good window of livelihood opportunity to stakeholders, this too offers an alternative for a good diversion for men to while away unspent quality, or extra time at home in a productive way right on their front or backyard.
And this could be the reason why the city government, proponent of the said project, requires and prefers participation of men more than women in their villages.
Not only that tilling the soil requires muscles from able-bodied men, the program is also intended to engage the menfolk in healthy, worthwhile, and even therapeutic endeavor, other than whiling away time drinking liquor or having that raucous “barik” sessions in local parlance.
Curious about this productive project of the city, officials from the private and public sectors visited and were surprised to see how successful the “Barangulayan” or “Gulayan sa Barangay sa Lungsod ng Lipa” is.
Per info from the office of the mayor, those who came to visit were from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Kaneko Seeds, Office of the City Agriculturist and the core group of SMART Lipeño, support group of the project.
Assisted by the city agriculturist office, the Gulayan sa Barangay employs the right agricultural implements, and uses the scientific and healthy organic treatment of soil.
As a result, the Barangulayan produces healthy and vibrant “leafy, green and yellow” vegetables; nice to look at, and delectable on the table, and yes, healthy to eat as they don’t use chemical fertilizers.
Here’s the mission: Layunin ng Gulayan sa Barangay sa Lungsod ng Lipa na higit pang palakasin ang Agrikultura sa lungsod at magkaroon ng mas maigting na samahan ang mga Lipeño lalo na ang mga kalalakihan.
The stress is on the last five words that says “lalo na ng mga kalalakihan.”
Imagine implementing this on a nationwide scale and perhaps, it might even radically stamp out drug addiction without having a single bullet fired.