More than a hundred farm owners, school and barangay representatives attended the launching of MoRProGRes Gardens at the Casa Real Social Hall on Monday, March 7, 2023.
Gov. Arthur Defensor, Jr., who is the brainchild of the MoRProGRes Gardens, introduced the project to the participants.
MoRProGRes Gardens is contained in the governor’s Executive Order No. 640 series of 2022 which aims to create agri-tourism destinations by blending ornamental gardening, landscaping and high-value crop production.
“This program is in line with the primary development thrust of the province which is to maximize agricultural production, create a value-chain for agricultural products and in the process generate employment and business for the Province’s agri-tourism industry,” Gov. Defensor said.
The project’s implementation will be spearheaded by the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) and Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP).
MoRProGRes Gardens is open to all individuals, groups, cooperatives, institutions, and private/business sectors.
It will be categorized into three areas or levels:
1) LGUs – Municipality or Barangay
2) Academic and Technical Education Institutions – Public & Private Elementary and Secondary Schools or Private Colleges and Universities and SUCs
3) Private, Business Sector, NGO, Cooperative, Association – DOT Accredited and Non-Accredited
The participant only needs to develop a minimum area of 1,000 to 2,000 sq.m. but entries may opt to exceed the minimum prescribed area for development.
The MoRProGRes Gardens shall incorporate the production of high-value crops for food security, blending ornamental gardening and landscaping for agri-tourism and use of recycled/upcycled materials as a climate change response.
PAO chief Dr Ildefonso Toledo said the registration will be until March 31, 2023, and interested individuals or groups could register at the Municipal Agriculture Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office or Municipal Tourism Office of their respective municipalities.
All entries will undergo a training/orientation within the period April to May 2023 on high-value crop production, ornamental plants gardening, landscaping, and use of recycled/upcycled materials in agriculture and agri-tourism establishment management.
They will be given a nine-month period to develop MoRProGRes Gardens before the evaluation which will start on February 2024.
The Iloilo Provincial Government shall recognize the Top Performing MoRProGRes Gardens during the Semana sang Iloilo on April 2024 where cash incentives will be given to the winners.
(ECG/Capitol News)