SOME government agency employees adopting work from home arrangements are now heading to venture in growing vegetables in their respective backyards.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-Misamis Oriental and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)-10 availed their 23 and 50 packets vegetable seeds, respectively, from the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10, funded under its High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).

The agency’s implementation of ALPAS COVID-19 or Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat kontra sa COVID-19 in the country's major urban communities aims to scale up food adequacy level in mitigating the effects brought by the coronavirus contagion.

TESDA-MisOr Provincial Director Miraluna N. Baje-Lopez cited that its employees can become food sufficient by engaging in backyard gardening while they are working at their respective homes.

Meanwhile, DHSUD-10 OIC-Regional Director Charito A. Raagas said provisions would not only provide a productive endeavor for public servants, but also offer a healthier food diet, as soon as they would harvest their homegrown vegetables.

“Recipients would truly reap a bounty of harvested vegetables, as one packet is more than enough for a backyard garden,” said Carlota S. Madriaga, Regional Technical Director for Operations of DA-10 who handed said items to the concerned agencies.

"With the repacked seeds of the department, an individual recipient can plant the set of seeds up to an area of 30-40 square meters," the assistant agri-executive added.

Receiving the veggie seeds on behalf of said government agencies were TESDA-MisOr Administrative Aide IV Genesis P. Cabrillos and DHSUD-10 Chief Admin Officer Michael P. Bajao. (PIA10)