Baguio City puts up hydroponic greenhouses

BAGUIO CITY — The city lives up to its thrust to propagate smart agricultural practices like hydroponics farming in the grassroots through the construction of model hydroponics greenhouse facilities in selected barangay for replication in all of the 128 villages.

The Summer Capital, through the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO), held a ceremonial turn-over of hydroponics greenhouse facilities, the construction of which started last January.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said this is only the beginning as he announced that the city has secured a P10-million additional funding from the national government to finance similar facilities to benefit not only the barangay but also district health centers and public schools.

"This is to fulfill the city's commitment to promoting smart farming practices, optimizing limited resources, and leveraging modern technology to ensure sustainable agricultural productivity," the mayor said.

During the program, City Veterinarian Dr. Silardo Bested recalled that it was the mayor that broached the adoption of smart farming practices last year and worked out funding with the concerned agencies to help the Summer Capital's agricultural sector.

"This pioneering initiative stemmed from our mayor's directive during a Management Committee meeting last year and was supported by the city council through legislation and budget approval," said Bested.

Six greenhouse facilities that were started this year were turned over during the program, according to CVAO Urban Agriculture Division Head Supervising Agriculturist Marcelina Tabelin.

Four are located in Barangay Imelda Marcos, Kabayanihan, Outlook Drive and Sto. Niño with one additional unit established at the Irisan Eco-Park and a small facility to be set up at the City Hall's smoke-free park.

"These greenhouses serve as technology demonstration hubs, highlighting cutting-edge urban farming techniques designed to boost efficiency, productivity, and sustainability," Tabelin said.

Kabayanihan's barangay captain Eladio Ortenero, Isidro Aquino of Outlook Drive, and Lucia Dolteo of Barangay Imelda Marcos expressed gratitude for the project, saying the facilities "will empower their communities to cultivate crops even in small spaces."

The project will also be a fulfillment of the city's mandate to strengthen barangay-level efforts towards sustainable agriculture in line with the Department of the Interior and Local Government's (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2023-001 on the Halina't Magtanim ng Prutas at Gulay (Hapag) sa Barangay Project.