The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has lauded the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for its support to the department's war against hunger and poverty by providing an outlet for the agricultural products of farmers.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones said the BJMP has recognized the need to help strengthen the farming sector when it opened itself up as a marketing outlet for farmers products through the "Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP)."

"Poverty is getting widespread and so with unemployment because of the decline of the economy. More business firms are closing shops here and abroad, resulting in a great number of overseas Filipino workers returning home. It is only the agriculture industry that is keeping our economy afloat," Castriciones said.

Two separate memoranda of understanding have been signed between the DAR and the BJMP-Central Visayas and BJMP-Socsargen to supply agricultural products to the BJMP detention centers.

DAR Undersecretary for Support Services Emily Padilla said the BJMP centers in all but three of the country’s 16 regions have already committed to buy their daily supply of food, such as rice, vegetables, fish, and meat from agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations (ARBOs), as their simple way of helping farmers find regular buyers of their harvests and other farm goods.

"By its (BJMP) commitment, our farmers will be spared from dealing with middlemen or traders, who are usually buying the farmers' produce at a very low price," she said.

The BJMP detention centers in Central Visayas and Socsargen also forged agreements with the ARBOs to firm up their buyer-seller relationships, respectively.

Padilla said schedules are already set for the remaining three regions, Cagayan Valley, National Capital Region, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, for the signing of their respective memoranda of understanding between the DAR and the BJMP.

DAR-Central Visayas Regional Director Resty Osias said the marketing agreements would be of great help for the farmers as it would boost their income, while improving the provision of food to various detention centers.

Likewise, DAR-Socsargen Regional Director Marion Abella said the agreements are intended to boost the livelihood of ARBOs and farmer-members, as well as improve the well-being of the detainees.