PUVeP News

Prof. Dr. Katherine Gibson Visits Allotment Gardens

Dr. Katherine Gibson, Professor of Human Geography at the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, together with her graduate student Ms. Ann Hill, visited the Sto Niño Allotment Garden in Lapasan as well as the PUVeP Office in Manresa on June 17, 2008.

They were accompanied by the representatives of the NGO Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation Inc. , guided by Mr. Perfecto ‘Jojo’ Rom, who - as technician of the city government of Cagayan de Oro under the Asia Urbs program – assisted in establishing the first allotment gardens on 2002- 2003. Ms. Jeannette Tramhel, guest researcher from the University of Calgary, as well as Horacio S. Factura, presently GTZ intern assigned at PUVP and the technician in-charge for the St. Nino Garden from 2003-2005 also joined the group

Prof. Dr. Gibson, whose research work – among others - focuses on Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approaches, was in the Philippines for a documentary on social enterprises. This brought them also to Cagayan de Oro to see examples of community-based food production as practiced in the allotment gardens. The group met with several of the gardening families in Lapasan who shared their experiences on allotment gardening which they started in 2003. According to them, up to 80 % of the vegetables produced are sold to walk-in clients as well as in the near neighborhood while the rest is consumed by the family for own consumption or given to friends and relatives. The gardeners expressed the importance of the gardens for their livelihood, especially during these times of food crisis and rapidly increasing prices of commodities.

Mr. Jimboy Eugenio, one of the founding members of the St. Nino Allotment Garden and now a teacher at the Lapasan National Highschool shared on how the garden helped him to support his family and gave him also encouragement to implement gardening activities in the high school and neighboring communities by sharing the knowledge acquired in the allotment garden.

After their visit in Lapasan, the group proceeded to Manresa Farm to see the St. Ignatius Allotment Garden with its ecosan facilities which is used by PUVeP for demonstration, training and research purposes. It was agreed to stay in contact to explore possibilities for further cooperation such as the conduct of joint research studies.

Back 20.06.2008.