Quezon City bags Galing Pook Award for food security initiative

MANILA, Philippines — The multi-sectoral and community-based food security initiative of the Quezon City government was recognized as one of the most innovative local government programs that address common problems faced by communities in the country.

GrowQC, which seeks to promote sustainable food systems by partnering with local communities and stakeholders, was named one of the Top 10 Galing Pook awardees this year.

Mayor Joy Belmonte expressed gratitude for the recognition, noting that the project was launched amid the pandemic to provide those affected by the lockdown with nutritious food supply.

“This program is a testament that we can be self-reliant even if we are in a highly urbanized city,” she added.

Hugh Velasco, head of the city’s sustainable development affairs unit, said the initiative goes beyond an urban farming program as it also looks into improving food systems in the city.

“Part of improved food systems is the creation of community-level food hubs and markets that allow agricultural raw materials to be available and the value-adding of food that creates livelihood,” he added.

Belmonte said the recognition is a demonstration of the city’s commitment to improving and transforming food systems from ground-up to ensure a food self-reliant city.

“The solutions are not new. However, implementation strategies allowed the city to make more land productive and connected people, processes, and programs, to show that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” she added.

Aside from GrowQC, two other city government programs were among the top 22 finalists of this year’s Galing Pook awards: the Quezon City Human Milk Bank project and the Kabahagi Center for Children with Disabilities.