URBAN AGROFORESTRY

URBAN AGROFORESTRY

Why must forests be locked in mountain ranges? Why not let trees—fruit-bearing ones at that—speak in every city square, in every village lane? Imagine what our neighborhoods could become if vacant lots, road shoulders, parks, barangay common spaces were not just green, but fruitful.

I remember Ayala Alabang Village: once an orchard, many mango trees surviving even as development marched in. And I still have a mango in front of my house. Its fruit, its shade—silent reminders that trees are gifts, not luxuries.

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What’s happening now

The idea of urban agroforestry is not just my fantasy. There are real Philippines examples:

• Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: The LGU and Bukidnon State University launched a 3-year tree-growing program. Urban areas—along Sawaga River and Mamala Creek—planted 3,000 assorted endemic forest and fruit trees, including bamboo.
  
  

• La Union Province: The ENRO planted 300 fruit-bearing seedlings (star apple, jackfruit, cacao) in Barangay Masicong, San Fernando City—combining forest rehabilitation with livelihood potential. 

• Koronadal City: Over 16,000 bamboo, forest, and fruit seedlings—durian, mangosteen among them—were planted across ten barangays in a community tree-growing drive.
  
  

These are promising. But they’re still islands, scattered. We need a sea.

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Why urban agroforestry matters

Here’s what fruit-trees plus urban forestry bring us, beyond beauty:

• Shade, cooling, reduction of urban heat islands. Trees moderate temperature.
  
  

• Cleaner air: absorbing pollutants. Roots help stormwater absorption. Soil stabilization.
  
  

• Food security: residents can harvest fruit, reducing reliance on transported produce.
  
  

• Livelihoods: fruits, seedlings, cooperatives—if people are organized and supported.
  
  

• Community wellbeing: green spaces, education, social cohesion.
  
  

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The challenges

Of course, it’s not simple:

• Space is limited. Urban lots are valuable; sidewalks crowded; utility lines overhead. Clearances, city zoning, land tenure all matter.
  
  

• Maintenance is more than planting. Watering, pruning, pest control need people, resources, and commitment. Fallen fruit or litter may be a concern.
  
  

• Species selection: Native versus exotic; fruit trees that don’t grow well in given soil; trees that may have invasive root systems or conflict with infrastructure.
  
  

• Community buy-in and ownership: Without people caring, the trees may die, or be neglected.
  
  

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Suggestions for making it real

Here are things I propose, drawing from these examples and some systems thinking:

1. Barangay Urban Agroforestry Plans
   Every barangay should have a small map of its potential planting sites: idle lots, parks, road shoulders, school grounds. Prioritize fruit/nut-bearing natives.
   
   

2. Cooperative Harvest & Use Models
   The fruit doesn’t need to rot. Organize cooperatives (neighborhood, school, barangay) to maintain trees and harvest. Profits or produce to be shared locally.
   
   

3. Integrate with Urban Planning
   City zoning, public works, drainage, parks departments should embed agroforestry into urban design. New road works or developments must allow for fruit trees in medians or adjacent lots.
   
   

4. Incentivize Private Participation
   Homeowners associations, developers, businesses can get tax breaks or recognition if they plant/maintain fruit trees on their property.
   
   

5. Training & Native Seed Source
   Provide nurseries (or make use of existing ones) for native fruit trees. Educate residents how to care for them—soil, spacing, pruning, disease.
   
   

6. Monitoring & Sustainability Metrics
   Regular checks: Are trees surviving? Are people able to harvest? Are the benefits (shade, cooling, food) perceptible? Otherwise, it’s just green décor.
   
   

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My questions

• How many local government units (LGUs) have adopted formal urban agroforestry policies? Not just tree-planting days, but ongoing programs.
  
  

• Are there LGUs with seed banks of native fruit trees ready for such work?
  
  

• What partnerships exist between DoA, DENR, and local communities to support fruit tree urban agroforestry?
  
  

• Can we measure the cooling effects or air quality improvements in a barangay that has many fruit trees vs one that does not?
  
  

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Final reflections

The concrete jungles need not be dead jungles. If forests can live in mountains, they can live in barangays and along city streets. If trees can give shade, they can give fruit. If fruit trees can feed people and heal the air, then urban agroforestry isn’t just an environmental project—it is a social, economic, even spiritual restoration.

Perhaps what is needed most is not resources, but imagination, will, and a sense of shared responsibility. Yes, I can help LGUs start, with seed selection, nursery networks, and concept framing. But the heart of it is this: planting something now that will shade, feed, heal our children’s tomorrow.

Let’s turn vacant lots into orchards. Let’s make concrete kinder. Let’s grow our cities, and not strip them bare.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

02-22-2026