First barangay in the country to go "organic"?

Eyed as the pilot organic zone in the country, Barangay Sibulan will be given five years for land preparation.

Davao City Councilor Marissa Abella said the committee for food and agriculture, which she heads, has been preparing for the second reading of the ordinance to proclaim the barangay as an organic zone and has been adjusting some of its policies.

“Thirty to 40 percent of the farmers in Sibulan are already organic farmers and the remaining 60 percent are considered ‘organic by neglect’ farmers,” Aerylle Clarice Gura, Auxillary Service Worker under Abella, said in an interview Wednesday.

She explained that after the ordinance will be passed in the City Council, it will be given five years for land conversion or preparation to comply with the guidelines as an organic zone.

“Organic by neglect” farmers are those who grow plants without the use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers.

Interface Development Interventions (Idis) Inc. said that for a place to be declared an organic zone, the area should consist at least 60 percent organic farmers.

Gura said there has been positive feedback from the residents of Sibulan during the public consultation last month about converting the area into an organic zone.

There are some adjustments in the penalties to be stated in the ordinance.

Barangay Sibulan proposed P1,000 penalty for first offense, P3,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for the third offense. However, some of the city councilors proposed that penalties should only be P1,000, P2,000 and P3,000 for first three offenses.

“Kailangan nalang namo i-specify kung kinsa ang mga ma-penalize. Like kung tenants, corporation, individuals (We still have to specify on who will be penalize if ever. Like for tenants, corporation, individuals),” Gura said.

Source of news: SunStar Davao.  In Photo:
Davao City Councilor Marissa Abella, head of the committee for food and agriculture, says Barangay Sibulan will be declared an organic zone. (Photo by Macky Lim)