A Gender and Development (“GAD”)-driven brainchild on urban gardening contest among women beneficiaries is now reaping the fruits of labors following its successful run amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The endeavor got citation from Ugsad Regional Gender Resource Network on the celebration of its 22nd Founding Anniversary.
“We feature some of our Ugsad partners in Western Visayas who have spearheaded impactful activities/projects/programs aligned with our gender advocacies of equality and social justice. We are proud to feature the Iloilo City Government in their GAD initiative on JPT Ediscape. Please share to help us spread the significant strides our Ugsad partners have done for gender equality! Padayon Iloilo City Government,” Ugsad posted on its Facebook page.
Significant impacts include improved nutritional status of beneficiaries, provided livelihood opportunities, people in the locality get to purchase the produce at prices way lower than the prevailing market prices, clean and green environment, and on-going donation of various vegetables to Uswag Community Kitchen for the consumption of health workers, Covid positive patients in quarantine facilities and families affected by Enhanced Community Quarantine (“ECQ”).
In response to the pandemic, the City Population Office as GAD focal office, conceptualized in 2020 the JPT Ediscape or Edible Landscaping piloted in 12 participating barangays.
Read also: Ediscape Day for Barangay San Rafael
Due to its successful implementation, additional 26 villages participated this year in leveled-up integrated farming with fishery and poultry.
Technical assistance is being provided by Department of Agriculture 6 in the cultivation of communal gardens.
The initiative aims to organize, mobilize and empower local communities particularly indigent women and their families by providing them with economic livelihood opportunities as well as ready-access to nutrient-rich food. These organic vegetable gardens provide a healthy, clean and green environment and promote psycho-social well-being of the Ilonggos.
Ugsad is a coordinating body of 90 institutions that facilitate gender mainstreaming in Region 6 established in July 1999 to answer the need for a more focused and well-coordinated implementation of GAD programs and projects.
As a major output of the project “Building GAD Capability of Regional Women’s/ Gender Resource Centers,” the network functions to pool together efforts to assist government agencies, local government units, academic institutions and non-government institutions. (Iloilo City PIO)
