In Barangay Sta. Lucia, a community farmers call the Zigzag Area, Laila A. Almario, 56, has begun harvesting cabbages with the help of her husband and five children. What began as a livelihood of necessity has now become a story of growth, tied closely to a city program that aims to strengthen upland farming.
Before she became a beneficiary of the Highland Vegetable Production Project (HVPP), Almario’s family relied on small-scale farming to get by. Years of working the land gave them experience, but resources were limited and market access remained uncertain.
That changed when the City Agriculture Office validated her application and extended support: free seeds, fertilizer, technical guidance, and assistance in marketing the produce. With those inputs and her family’s labor, Almario’s first cabbage harvest has already shown promise.
“Dahil sa kasipagan ni Gng. Almario at ng kanyang pamilya at sa mapagkalingang Pamahalaang Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa, nagsimula na sa pag-aani ng repolyo na may magandang kalidad,” the City Agriculture Office said in a statement.
The project not only helps households like the Almarios make farming more viable, but also challenges the perception that agriculture is work for men alone. In Sta. Lucia, Almario’s leadership in the field has become an example of women taking an active role in food production while involving their families.
City agriculture officers say Sta. Lucia is one of several highland barangays where vegetable farming has started to take root under the Highland Vegetable Production Project. By offering seeds, fertilizer, and technical support, they hope more families will follow Almario’s lead and turn backyard plots into reliable sources of food and income.
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