BUTUAN CITY – The youth-led initiative Project City Green Pockets was formally launched on October 8, 2025, at Agusan National High School (ANHS) to promote urban gardening, food sustainability, and climate action among students and young community leaders. The project is spearheaded by its founder, Juniel Rey Gigaquit, while the Agricultural Training Institute–Regional Training Center (ATI-RTC) XIII serves as a support agency, contributing technical assistance, information awareness, and resource support to the initiative.

City Green Pocket aims to provide hyperlocal circular solutions to food waste, urban food insecurity, and limited green spaces by empowering youth to transform small urban areas into productive micro-gardens. The project is supported by the Tzu Chi Foundation through its International Youth Leadership Program (IYLP) and aligns with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Zero Hunger, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action.

As part of ATI’s support, an Orientation on ATI Youth Programs and e-Learning Platforms was conducted by Ressell Angelie Fetalsana, Information Officer II, together with Maria Den Parro, Agriculturist II and RBO Focal Person. Students were introduced to ATI’s digital learning platforms, youth scholarships, agripreneurship opportunities, and capacity-building initiatives. To further strengthen awareness and adoption of urban agriculture, ATI also provided Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, which the school may use as reference materials for their gardening activities and youth initiatives.

To showcase practical and scalable urban agriculture solutions, Juniel, together with Kids Who Farm Butuan City YoungAgriX, facilitated a technology transfer session featuring the Gardenator—a low-tech compact farming model—and food-waste composting techniques for schools and households. These demonstrations equipped the students with hands-on knowledge on how to grow food in limited spaces while reducing biodegradable waste to support environmental sustainability.

To seal the collaboration and sustain the initiative, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Kids Who Farm and ANHS with the Department of Agriculture-Caraga Region and ATI-RTC XIII as witnesses and supporting institutions. The partnership seeks to expand school-based green pockets and strengthen youth-led urban agriculture initiatives within Butuan City.