During the first Enhanced Community Quarantine imposed in the entire country, each household was required to follow quarantine procedures such as the mandatory strict home quarantine. This is to prevent the CoViD-19 transmission. Due to this imposition, people get easily bored while staying inside the comfort of their homes. 

The City Government took the initiative in providing free assorted vegetable seeds not just to ease the people’s boredom but to also encourage them to engage in gardening activities such as planting vegetables which can also provide them with sustainable and nutritious produce. 

With this, Ms. Juanita Siobal, 63-year-old, a resident of Barangay Lingsat, started a survival garden last July 2020. Juanita first started in container pots inside her home until she discovered her vacant lot near their apartment rental business and developed it to a mini-garden. She even called it Una’s Little Garden which was named after her grandchild.

“Nag-umpisa akong magtanim simula ng nagbigay ang city ng libreng vegetable seeds, nag-umpisa akong magtanim sa bahay namin, puro lamang container pot ang ginamit ko, walang lupa kayat nakita ko sa pinagpatayuhan naming apartment na may maliit na vacant lot. Tinanggal naming ang mga kalat-kalat na kahoy, malalaking bato, bumili ako ng garden soil, at pinabakuran. Kasama ko ang asawa ko, at iba pang kamag-anak”, said Juanita in an interview. 

Vegetables such as talong, sili, kamatis, pipino, pal-lang and others crops were given freely to their neighbors, “even her neighbors were allowed to pick any vegetables without any charge, puro inpadawat,” Siobal added.

With Siobal’s initiative, her garden was recognized by the City Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) in the Green Ribbon Award of the City Government. Her garden garnered First-Place Winner in the Survival Garden Category. She also received a cash incentive in the sum of Php 10, 000.

Aside from Siobal, another Survival Garden winner is Ms. Adelina Carpio of Brgy. Cadaclan who received Php 7, 000 as the second place, while Mr. Ernesto Casison of Brgy. Cabaraoan is in third-place with P5, 000 cash prize.

Meanwhile, the following barangays who were dubbed as the champion in the other categories of the Green Ribbon Award received PHP 40,000 incentive cash each. 

Coastal Category

Champion – Barangay Lingsat

Urban Category

Champion – Barangay Cabaroan

Lowland Category

Champion – Barangay Santiago

Upland Category

Champion – Barangay Puspus 

According to Lingsat Barangay Capt. Jesusa Iglesia, the fund will be used for the renovation of the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), and purchase of grass cutter and other supplies.

Second and Third place winners: from the Urban category are Brgy. Madayeg, and Brgy. Biday; Coastal category are Ilocanos Norte and Poro, Lowland category Cadaclan and Bato; and Upland category are Bangbangolan and Baraoas. All received a Php 30,000 and Php 25,000  cash prize as the second and third placers, respectively.

The Green Ribbon is an award and incentive program for the outstanding performance of barangays, schools, and City offices in Environmental Management. 

The City Government is fully aware on the important role of the barangay in the overall development and transformation of the community and of the nation, the City ENR Office undertakes to implement the Green Ribbon Award to encourage and challenge barangays to boost its performance in environmental management.