Two barangays in the city have started to benefit from their respective community gardens as part of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and zero-waste programs of the city government.
The community garden of Barangays Herrero-Perez and Pogo Chico, which are located near their respective MRFs, contain variety of vegetables which include eggplant, tomato, bitter ground (ampalaya), string beans, squash, pepper and papaya, among others.
City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim encourages the establishment of nursery gardens in the barangays where the composted materials can be used.  
According to agriculture technologist Teresita Pascua, personnel of the city agriculture office visits the community gardens once a week to ensure that the nurseries are being maintained.
Pascua said residents of the barangays are allowed to gather some of the vegetables for household consumption.
“The barangay can also sell the harvested vegetables, and the income shall go to a community fund,” Pascua said even as she emphasized that another goal of the program is for the barangays to generate income.
Pascua pointed out that Malued and Mayombo have also set up their respective community gardens and other barangays will follow in succeeding weeks. CAO provides for the seeds of vegetables being cultivated in the nurseries.   
In line with the undertaking, an Urban Vegetable Production seminar was staged recently which was attended by representatives from Herrero-Perz, Mayombo, Barangay I, Barangay 2&3, Barangay 4, Pogo Chico, Tapuac, Mangin, Tebeng and Lucao. (Sunshine D. Robles)