Cebu City – Close to one thousand school children, teachers, hospital officials and personnel, community residents and rotaractors participated in the simultaneous planting of vegetables, dubbed as “Vegetable Hour”, in the four key areas in Cebu City last July 2, 2012 as part of the regional launching event of the 38th Nutrition Month celebration.
The four key areas included Mabolo Elementary School, Barangay Mambaling, Operation Second Chance in Barangay Kalunasan and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
The vegetable planting in Mabolo Elementary School was led by Dir. Lakshmi I. Legaspi, Assistant Regional Director of DOH – CHD 7 representing RNC Chair & RD Asuncion M. Anden, Dr. Parolita A. Mission, RNPC of NNC 7, Ms. Nenita S. Seno, Regional HDVDP Coordinator of DA7, representing RED Angel C. Enriquez, Mr. Ronald O. Diola, Cebu City Nutrition Action Officer, Dr. Stella M. Ygoña, City Health Officer of Cebu City, Ms. Annabel Lagrosas, VP for Radio, MIND 7 and Mr. Donald C. Crisologo, School Principal of Mabolo Elementary School. NO II Dave F. Bargamento, Ms. Cheryl M. De la Victoria, IO III of DA 7, teaching staff and personnel of the Cebu City Health Department were also present during the planting.
In Barangay Mambaling, the vegetable planting was spearheaded by Barangay Chairperson Rodulfo Y. Estella, RNC – TWG Chair & ND III of DSWD 7 Ms. Melinda D. Cañares, Mr. John Ciocon, Treasurer of MIND 7, Mr. Vicente G. Alcesto, Agricultural Technologist of Cebu City Agriculture Office and Ms. Ricarda M. Limocon, AA VI of NNC 7. The Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and selected Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) participated in the actual planting of vegetables in this site.
Leading the planting in Operation Second Chance were SJO3 Jose Nesalito M. Mabalod, Ms. Grace B. Espos, ND I of DepEd 7 & RNC-TWG member, Ms. Annie V. Saavedra, Agriculture Technician of Cebu City Agriculture Office, Ms. Jasmine See of the Rotary Club of Cebu Mandaue East and Ms. Nasudi G. Soluta, NO I of NNC 7. Planters in this site were high school students who are members of the Rotaract Club of Mandaue East and personnel of the correctional facility.
Medical Center Chief Dr. Gerardo Aquino, Chief Nurse Dr. Alma B. Ungab, Chief of Clinics Dr. Roque Anthony R. Paradela, Ms. Apple H. Layon, City Agriculture Official and Ms. Susan Orpilla, NO III of NNC 7 led the hospital personnel and selected BNSs in the vegetable planting in V. Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Mr. Jun P. Tagalog, MIND 7 President, personally hosted DYLA’s morning show to do the actual countdown for the simultaneous planting of vegetables. Other MIND 7 member radio stations hooked up to broadcast the actual countdown. To coordinate the simultaneous planting of vegetables in the 4 areas, the Federation of Volunteers through Radio Communications Inc. was tapped.
Media personalities from GMA 7, TV 5, ABS-CBN, the local dailies, Freeman and CDN, were there to cover the event. GMA 7 Cebu’s local morning show, Buena Mano, did a live coverage of the actual planting along with the short program.
The planting in these 4 key areas affirms that vegetable planting is possible anywhere and can be done in areas where space is a challenge and also sends out a message that these vegetables can augment the daily food supply of the institution/community. //DFB
