From securing peace and order to securing food sufficiency.

This is one example of how the mission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has been evolving as explained by Col. Cerilo C. Balaoro, the Deputy Brigade Commander of the 402^nd Infantry Brigade.

The 402^nd IB in Bancasi, Butuan City has partnered with the Department of Agriculture – Caraga in the pursuit of securing food sufficiency and security especially at this time that the country is hurdling a battle with the COVID19 pandemic.

Col. Balaoro said that they thought of a way to support the government’s efforts in its fight against COVID19 apart from providing security especially in quarantine control points.

“We instructed our men to start vegetable gardening in the vacant lots here in the camp so that if ever there will be food scarcity, we will still be self-sufficient and will not contribute to the problem of the community we are located in. In addition, we intend to share to the community a portion of what we will be able to harvest from the garden,” he said.

On the other hand, to support their endeavor, the DA-Caraga provided the 402^nd IB with vegetable seeds and some garden tools and also lent them a tractor during their land preparation. A number of the officers also underwent a two-day training on crop production and livestock raising to equip them with more knowledge they can use in their food production initiative.

DA – Caraga’s Supervising Agriculturist Melody Guimary said that the DA-Caraga is grateful for the partnership with the 402^nd IB in establishing their own food production activity.

“The government is pushing for food security. Our hunger and malnutrition concerns are further aggravated by this pandemic because of the limitation of our mobility. This is why it is important for us to be able to produce our own food in our backyards and in our communities,” Guimary said.

In the previous weeks, the DA-Caraga also provided vegetable seeds to the Caraga State University and the Regional Finance Service of the Philippine National Police – Caraga Regional Office for their own food production initiatives.

The distribution of vegetable seeds is part of the DA – Caraga’s support to the Ahon Lahat Pagkaing Sapat or Plant Plant Plant Program launched by the Department as a response to the health crisis being faced by the country now. (Vaness P. Sanchez/DA13-RAFIS)