DENR plans NCR mobile community pantry for seedlings

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it is organizing a mobile community pantry for the National Capital Region (NCR), which will offer seedlings for fruit, vegetables, and ornamental plants for free starting in June.
The so-called 鈥淐ommunity PanTREE鈥 project hopes to encourage more urban gardening.
鈥淭here are some people who live far away who want to avail of the seedlings but because of this pandemic, they can鈥檛 go (to our compound in Quezon City). We鈥檙e looking at our resources, the availability of our seedlings. We鈥檙e studying the strategies on how we can launch a rolling Community PanTREE,鈥 NCR Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. Caancan told 大象传媒 last week.
The mobile seedling bank will seek to serve communities some distance away from the Diliman, Quezon City headquarters.
鈥淲e are looking at launching the project in environment month (which is) June,鈥 Ms. Caancan said, noting that it is receiving indications of strong potential demand from the public.
Late last month, the NCR office started giving out a variety of fruit and vegetable seedlings for free, drawing thousands of visitors to the headquarters.
鈥淚ts objective is to provide seedlings of fruit-bearing trees and vegetables to Metro Manila residents and to inspire them to set up their own backyard or vertical planting area,鈥 Ms. Caancan said in a mobile message conveyed through the DENR NCR Information Office. 鈥 Angelica Y. Yang


