Even while at work-from-home mode, staff members from the Postharvest Horticulture Training and Research Center (PHTRC) engaged in different activities in support of the CAFS-UPLB’s initiatives in response to Covid-19 pandemic.
To help the public in keeping perishable commodities fresh during quarantine when they buy in bulk and stock, the PHTRC produced information, education, and communication materials on proper handling after harvest. These were uploaded and disseminated through social media, particularly PHTRC’s Facebook page.
An infographic about the effect of storage temperature on Vitamin C content and marketable life of malunggay leaves was posted last May 14. This is a research output from a project titled “Maintaining the Quality and Safety of Fresh Cut (Minimally Processed) Vegetables Through Appropriate Preparation, Pre-Treatment procedures and Packaging,” As of May 25, the infographic had 71 shares and has reached 7,362 people.
Meanwhile, the PHTRC Library continues to serve not only UPLB constituents but also the general public by providing postharvest and horticulture-related sources of information through its Online Services – the Article Request Service, Data Generation Service, and Selective Dissemination of Information Service or SDI. Clients may send in their requests by filling out the online form available at bit.ly/PHTRC-OnlineLibrary.
Home Gardens
Led by no less than the PHTRC Director, Dr. Elda B. Esguerra and her deputy Dr. Dormita R. Del Carmen, a number of PHTRC staff have been into planting vegetables to secure safe food for their homes during the quarantine period. “Okra ng baryo” is how Dr. Esguerra kiddingly refers to her okra plants as anyone, even ambulant vendors can harvest the fruits. This sense of giving and the “bayanihan” spirit are all too visible in this difficult times, with the PHTRC librarians also sharing their harvested leafy vegetables with their neighbors. Home gardening has really turned into a trend these days. A research associate is now tending not just an ordinary backyard garden, but one on their rooftop which is now teeming with an assortment of 24 vegetables, various root crops, fruits, herbs and spices and even medicinal plants like “tawa-tawa.”
Seeds or planting materials were obtained from home scraps, agricultural supplies stores, local government of Los Baños, and the Institute of Plant Breeding. Despite pests problems, some of these “quarantine” gardeners find this activity rewarding and advantageous in terms of safe, organically grown food, less grocery expenses, and convenience of harvesting in one’s own backyard. It also provides an opportunity to spread goodwill in the community by sharing the harvest in the neighborhood.
Participation in Mobile Community Kitchen
Living up to UP’s volunteerism, some PHTRC staff members also worked with the Task Force Cure Volunteers in the Art Relief Mobile Kitchen (ARMK) in Batong Malake last April 6, 10, and 24. They helped in the preparation of food packs given to Covid-19 frontliners and poor communities.
ARMK is a non-profit organization founded after the storm Yolanda in 2013. ARMK’s creed is to provide hot and comforting food in times of distress. They used to bring volunteers throughout the country in their mobile kitchens but eventually discovered that help from the immediate community would naturally come. In Los Baños, Mr. Ian Kalaw, the Baranggay Captain allowed the use of the covered court as the community kitchen. Mr. Alex Baluyot, a photo journalist, led the volunteers including cooks, chefs and students in preparing food for more than 40 days. (MV Maunahan, JS Zuniega, NG Ramos, & DCH Gonzales. Photos by: DCH Gonzales, EB Esguerra, CS Lontoc & GM Banawa)