The plan to turn idle penal colony lands into productive agriculture hubs will serve as a blueprint for achieving food security in the country, according to a senior official of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Gerald Glenn Panganiban, director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, said that the success of the DA and DOJ Reformation Initiative for Sustainable Environment for Food Security (RISE) will also serve as a model to achieve the goal of Zero Hunger set by President Ferdinand ” Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
Panganiban said, this project can serve as a blueprint for the development of similar agri-hubs to feed communities throughout the Philippines.
The signing of the tripartite memorandum of agreement recently concluded between the DA, Department of Justice (DOJ), and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) was personally witnessed by President Marcos.
In his remarks at the event, Marcos emphasized food security and “Zero Hunger” as the twin policy priorities of his administration.
One of the main objectives of the DA and said project, according to the agreement, is to develop lands and resources to become productive agricultural camps or food production centers that will contribute to the country’s food security.
The first agriculture hub under the Reformation Initiative for Sustainable Environment for Food Security Project will be built on the 501 hectares plot of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
Among the main foods to be planted are rice, corn, cashews, and various vegetables.
Also, the project will also include a tilapia fishery and a dairy production area.
