DAGUPAN CITY-Full-time policemen, part-time gardeners.

Prior to doing their daily tasks in keeping peace and order, policemen at the Tondaligan police precinct in Dagupan spend some time looking after their small vegetable garden within their compound.

The garden, with its success, now serves as the demo farm for the Gulayan ni Mamang Pulis project, according to SPO4 Froilan Esteban, precinct supervisor.

The project was initiated by P/Supt.Dionicio Borromeo, Dagupan police chief, in January this year in partnership with the city government.

In an interview with The PUNCH at the farm, Esteban said they have planted upo, ampalaya, and malunggay and other vegetables with seeds provided by the City Agriculture Office and the regional office of the department of Agriculture (DA) in San Fernando City, La Union.

Esteban said the gulayan proves to all that starting a vegetable garden is possible even within an urban setting.

He said they managed to maximize use of their small vacant space by using recycled containers like old tires, used basins, and sacks to plant on.

“Marami ding mga animal manure na puwedeng pataba sa lupa,” Esteban said.

The precinct has been receiving positive feedback from the community with some coming around to ask for some of the produce.

“May mga humihingi ng dahon ng malunggay, siyempre magbigay tayo basta huwag nilang ubusin para naman may matira pa sa ibang nangangaila-ngan,” he said in jest.

Albert de Vera, agricultural technologist of the city agriculture office, said the policemen were trained to practice organic farming.

“Maganda ito (organic farming) dahil hindi basta-basta nawawala ang mga nutrients kagaya ngnitrogen, potassium, phosphorous na kailangan ng ugat ng halaman,” De Vera explained.

The project is set to be adopted by the other police community precincts around the city but De Vera added he will encourage other government offices to visit the farm so they can have an idea on what they can do even with their limited vacant lots within their office compounds—CSR

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