By PR | 09:01 July 25, 2020
At least 14 Boholano displaced workers were feted on Wednesday during the 166th Bohol Day celebration, July 22.
They were the winners of the 1st “Grow My Own Food Bohol” Backyard Garden contest.
Governor Arthur Yap personally sponsored the cash prizes for the winners.
Grow My Own Food is a 50-day organic gardening challenge for displaced workers and youth in the Bohol spearheaded by Dalareich Polot, Joy Angeli Uy and Duke Minoza to inspire Boholanos to start planting vegetables.
Participants, who were able to showcase their creativity out of their limited resources, were able to inspire communities to grow their own food despite the land requirement.
Four sets of winners were declared on the awarding ceremony.
The contestants were from Dauis, Panglao, Loon, Baclayon, and Tagbilaran City.
Roberto Lungay, a displaced worker from a construction industry in Cebu won the first prize for Tagbilaran City. He showcased his rooftop garden in Taloto.
The winner of the 2nd prize was Marissa Marinay, a housewife; while Gerwin Cabalit, a basketball referee, won the 3rd prize.
In Dauis town, Melchor Optina, a tourist van driver, won the first price. Jerome Englater and Emelyn Ablazo won second and third place respectively.
In Panglao, a returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW), Roel Buot won the 1st prize, and two displaced workers in the hotel industry–Ronald Pitao and Severino Ampo won the 2nd prize and 3rd prize.
For the rest of the 1st district, Alma Tolonghari from Loon won the 1st prize, Rosalie Iroy from Albur won 2nd prize, Ness Theresa Pagbilao from Baclayon got the 3rd prize, Mary Joy Macarompon got the 4th prize from Cortes and 5th place was from Catigbian, Merlyn Alpuerto. Their gardening journey was truly inspiring, through their garden, they were able to feed their families.
A few of them were even able to earn income by selling their produce and even managed to give away some of their harvests to their neighbors.
Four youth participants were also recognized as the “Future Farmer Heroes”. They were Jhonah Lyn Hongayo,Jhon Jeyson Estrera,Crisha Jean Manguinimba and Sean Raphael Dumangog.
Maydee Reyness, Merlin Antigua and Lazaro Alboir received the “Resilient Farmers” Award.
The 14 awardees received the beautiful wooden plaque from Crissander and Mansmith,a pocket wifi from SMART Communications, goodies from Jojies Bakeshop, and cakes for all 1st prize winners from Baking Mama.
All the 40 participants will also receive a second wave of organic planting materials and inputs from a sponsor and Agricultural Training Institute- Central Visayas (ATI-7) .
Dr. Carolyn May Daquio, head of ATI-7, announced her support in making a sustainable framework of this project as Bohol is on a mission for food security and sustainability.
