Roxas City News

by Benny Cortes

City Conducts Backyard Vegetable Growing

Roxas City – One of the major thrusts of Roxas City Mayor Vicente B. Bermejo is the provision of opportunities to farmers and fisherfolks to engage in livelihood and income generating activities both in urban and rural barangays of this city through backyard vegetable growing.

The local chief executive is aware that a variety of vegetables in the local markets are getting costly and the supply is getting scarce.

Thus, the city govern-ment through the Office of the City Agriculturist, conducted a seminar. The topic discussed was backyard vegetable growing. It was held at the Seminar Room, City Hall, Roxas City very recently.

Among the topics discussed are the concepts and principles of urban agriculture, environmental factors affecting vegetable production; varietal and seed selection; vegetable garden lay-outing; integrated nutrient management; pest and disease prevention and control of selected vegetables (biological, cultural, and chemical); and other cultural practices such as composting, mulching, harvesting, storing, and packaging.

Discussed earlier in another training activity was vermiculture and vermiculture composting.

City Administrator Rey Cordenillo represented Mayor Bermejo during the opening program. He expressed his full support to this activity to enhance the know-how and skills of the participants on vegetable growing.

City Agriculturist Salvador B. Borda encouraged the fisherfolks and farmers alike to go into vegetable farming not only as a source of income for their families but to provide adequate supply of fresh vegetables in the locality.

Other speakers were Ms. Lily Ong, chairman, Provincial Agriculture & Fishery Council of Capiz; Ms. Sarah Pequierda, CAFC chairman; Virgil Deza of East-West Seed Company, Inc.; Raoul Perez, Agriculturist II; Roy Ballon, Dupont Crop Protection Specialist; and Ms. Anabelle A. Albay, Agricultural Specialist.

City Council Accredits Non Government Organizations

In line with governance transparency and private participation, the Sang-guniang Panlungsod of Roxas City released the list of private organizations which had been accredited as non-government organizations (NGOs) which can participate in some activities in local special bodies of the city government.

Vice Mayor/Sanggunian Panlungsod presiding officer Ronnie T. Dadivas disclosed the list of accredited organizations as follows.

Capiz Women, Inc.; Roxas City Urban Poor; Habitat for Humanity; Roxas City Affiliates; Ladies of Charity–AIC Philippines; Roxas City Pistol & Rifle Association, Inc.; Ban-awan Association for Environment, Inc.; Buas Damlag Sang Panimalay, Inc.; 4K’s Organization, Inc.; Capiz Arts Council, Inc.; Capiz Volunteer Assistance Team (CVAT), Inc.; REACT Philippines, Inc., (Halaran Group); Association of Service Providers for Landless Residents of Capiz and Roxas City.

Sigmahanon Foun-dation for Culture and Arts, Inc.; Boy Scouts of the Philippines – Capiz Council; Alliance of Roxas City Tricycle Operators & Drivers Assn., Inc.; Capiz Islamic Foundation, Inc.; Datu Bangkaya Traders Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Knights of Columbus, Council No. 3691; Union of the Handicapped of Roxas City & Capiz, Inc.; Capiz Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc.; Federation of Senior Citizens Assn. of the Philippines. Citizen’s Crime Watch Task Force; Roxas City Taekwando Assn., Inc.; Federation of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Assn. of Roxas City, Capiz; Save Olotayan, Inc.

Roxas City Bureau of Fire Protection Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Capiz Halaran Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.; Roxas City Filipino – Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc.; Capiz Basketball Referees and Officials Association, Inc.; Capiz Citizens Action Group, Inc.; Kabalikat Civicom Assn., Inc. – Kabalikat Civicom 371 Roxas; Rotary Club of Roxas; Holy Trinity Apostolate; and Barangay Health Workers Federation of Roxas City, Inc. /MP