Hydroponics, a
good way to be productive during community quarantine
By
Vanessa P. Sanchez
BUTUAN CITY, May 20 -- In the midst of a global
pandemic, a man turns a negative situation into a positive one.
With the city of Butuan
placed under community quarantine, forcing people to stay at home to prevent
the spread of the COVID 19, Bryan Tingas turned into backyard vegetable
gardening to put his time to good use.
Tingas said that when the
community quarantine was implemented last March, their office also implemented
a work from home policy. It was then that he decided to utilize the vacant
space in their yard to have a vegetable garden.
Since the space is limited,
he also used some empty containers and planted them with vegetables. In
addition, he put up his own hydroponics, a method of gardening that uses no
soil, but instead grows plants in a solution of water and nutrients.
Tingas said that he thought
of having the hydroponics since this planting method is less laborious and does
not require a lot of time for management which he said would be good once work
resumes and he would have less time to tend to his garden. “With hydroponics,
there is no need to water the plants daily so you save time as well as water,”
Tingas shared.
He said that he researched
on the internet on how to establish hydroponics. He then prepared the needed
materials such as the styrofoam boxes, paper cups, the nutrient solution,
seeds, and the nets he used for shading. Tingas said that the roofing or shade
is necessary if you are planting leafy vegetables to protect them from too much
heat. He also said that he did not spend much on the materials since he just
asked for the Styrofoam boxes from fruit vendors.
“Although
the space is limited, I was still able to plant various vegetables, you just
need to be resourceful in doing things,” Tingas said.
Tingas
said that their garden has served as their own food source. “We have since been
harvesting vegetables from our garden and I am glad that I am able to support
the food security advocacy of the Department of Agriculture,” he said.
Moreover,
Tingas said that he hopes to inspire other people to also have their own
backyard vegetable gardens so that they too can provide nutritious and
chemical-free foods for their families. (DA Caraga-RAFIS/PIA Caraga)
Coop gives food aid to ‘Pakyawan’ workers, janitors
at Surigao port
By Noli C. Nusog
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 20 (PIA)
-- Continuing the ‘Bayanihan sa Pantalan’ spirit, dockworkers hired on
‘pakyawan’ basis and janitors serving the port of Surigao and the Lipata Ferry
Terminal get food packs from the Philippine Ports Authority Surigao Employees
Service Cooperative (PPA SESC).
As operations of motor launches plying the
island routes are transferred from the city boulevard to the port of Surigao
for the safety and security of island-bound cargo and passengers in the light
of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) crisis, additional dockworkers were
hired on ‘pakyawan’ basis to augment existing cargo handling manpower.
PPA SESC Business Manager Roed Pomoy said
that this undertaking is in line with the cooperative’s social responsibility
program and sourced from its community development fund.
“Extending the cooperative’s help to
co-workers particularly to our janitors and ‘pakyawan’ workers is unanimously
agreed by all of our members in support of the ‘Bayanihan sa Pantalan,'"
Pomoy said. (PPA-PMO/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
PMO Surigao turns idle areas to vegetable gardens
By Noli C. Nusog
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 20 -- To
somehow ease concerns over food security amidst the threat of coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19), idle areas at the Port of Surigao were turned into
vegetable gardens to produce healthy food and vegetable products.
Launched over the weekend, the pilot site at
the Surigao Baseport is just the first of the many vegetable gardens planned to
be establish at idle areas in ports under the Philippine Ports Authority - Port
Managment Office (PPA-PMO) Surigao.
With no less than PMO Surigao Acting Port
Manager Froilan Caturla as lead ‘farmer,’ the Surigao Baseport garden is
initially planted with eggplants, string beans, spring onions and lemon grass.
He added that putting up gardens is good for
the environment too, aside from the benefit of having a ready supply of
nutritious food.
“This greening project is also a great help
for us in attaining safe and healthy environment since plants lessen carbon
dioxide and produce more oxygen. More oxygen means cleaner air,” Manager
Caturla said. (PPA-PMO/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
