Three years after the HAPAG program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was launched in 2023, it has already reached 16,000 sites nationwide.
The DILG considered it a success of the agency, whose primary goal is to establish barangay gardens in every community.
At present, the country is facing a crisis due to rising petroleum prices, along with concerns over increasing costs of basic food commodities.
In response, the DILG has encouraged the public to adopt “go backyard,” or the practice of growing their own vegetables and fruits in their respective homes.
According to the agency, if this program is implemented in every household, it will not only help ease hunger but also provide Filipinos with an alternative source of food, while reducing their expenses in the event of rising food prices.
Meanwhile, based on DILG data, around 700,000 households have already established their own backyard gardens, supporting the advocacy of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize nutrition in every Local Government Units (LGUs) through urban agriculture.
In the same year, the total income generated from surplus vegetables and fruits harvested and sold across various barangays reached ₱12 million.
At present, a total of 36,979 ordinances have already been passed in different localities for the implementation of urban gardening.