Cadiz Rooftop Farming Gets PHP15 Million Boost

Cadiz City’s rooftop farming advocacy has received a PHP15 million boost from Tingog Partylist.

Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said, “It’s flattering to note that Tingog noticed our quest for rooftop farming.”

Cadiz began showcasing rooftop farming during the 2024 Panaad sa Negros Festival.

The city repeated the showcase at this year’s Panaad sa Negros, drawing praise from citizens and netizens not just nationwide, but also from some parts of the world.

This unique farming initiative aims to take green spaces one step further by converting rooftops of government buildings in Cadiz into agricultural plots.

To scale up the initiative, the PHP15 million grant from Tingog will be used by the local government to convert the rooftop of its two-year-old city-run food court into a farming haven.

“We will produce food up in the food court,” said Escalante.

He added, “And we will ensure that this is sustainably implemented through the years.”

Cadiz was among the local governments recognized as a “Walang Gutom” champion in 2024.

The recognition stemmed from the city’s Project PAT (Pagkaon Aton Tatapon), a program aimed at combating hunger and supporting children’s education through difficult times.

Project PAT is built on a “womb-to-tomb” concept to help Cadizeños fight malnutrition and hunger.

With the rooftop farming initiative unfolding one story at a time, Escalante is confident the city will sustain its success in the national “Walang Gutom” campaign.

Escalante also encouraged Cadizeños to embrace a new norm in which the marriage of architecture and agriculture creates strong synergy for food security and environmental health.

“With rooftop farming, we will make Cadiz not just a driver of an eco-friendly community, but also a promoter of a well-sustained food security mission,” the mayor said.

He expressed gratitude to Tingog Partylist for trusting Cadiz to lead the rooftop farming initiative and move toward a greener and better future.