Navoteños will now have a more sufficient and sustainable food source following the launch of the city’s first urban vertical farm, the tallest in Metro Manila.
Navotas Rep. John Rey Tiangco, chair of Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP)-Navotas City Council, together with Simon Villalon, president of Good Greens and Co., led the opening of the farm at NavotaAs Homes 1-Tanza.
“This pandemic made us see the need for sufficient and sustainable source of food. We hope this urban vertical farm will help us provide inexpensive healthy and organic produce to our constituents,” Tiangco said.
“Navotas is one of the smallest cities in terms of land area. This is why vertical farming is the most apt for us, as it maximizes our limited space,” he added.
The farm features four-tower greenhouses, the construction of which was financed by BSP-Navotas and Good Greens.
The City Government of Navotas provided the 500 sq. m. area for the project.
“We have also secured the Department of Agriculture’s commitment to contribute for the construction of eight more towers,” Tiangco noted.
Good Greens will manage the farm to yield high-value and year-round crops through aeroponics. They will also provide learning opportunities for scouts to plant, use their technology, and harvest.
“Activities of the BSP-Navotas have been suspended because of COVID-19 but we endeavor to continue the mission of educating our young scouts,” the lawmaker said.
The launch of the urban vertical farm is in line with the celebration of Scouting Month this October.
