Instead of keeping the land idle and unproductive, officials of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) have decided to plant rice on 60 hectares of its vast 26,000-hectare reservation in Palawan.

In a statement, IPPF said 60 hectares of land “are now being tilled in preparation to the planting of rice starting this month up to December this year.”

IPPF Chief Corrections Superintendent Raul P. Levita has designated Work and Livelihood Section head Chief Inspector Teddy Martin to lead the rice farming project.

IPPF said selected inmates under the minimum-security category have been tapped as manpower for the project as “preparators, irrigators, planters and harvesters as part of the rehabilitation/reformation program of the prison.”

It noted that the Puerto Princesa City government also allowed the use of three of its heavy tractors with attached poly disk harrow to expedite the land preparation.

“Napaka importante na magkaroon ng maayos na land preparation bago itanim ang mga punla para maiwasan ang pagdami ng damo at mapanatili ang lambot ng lupa (It is important to have proper land preparation before planting to prevent the spread of grass and maintain the loomy soil),” Martin said.

“Inaayos din natin ang mga pilapil para siguradong pantay at tuloy-tuloy ang daloy ng tubig (We are making dikes to have an even and continuous flow of irrigation),” he added.

IPPF is about 20 kilometers from Puerto Princesa City. It has been dubbed as “a prison without walls” or “where prisoners roam freely.”

In 2004, IPPF was declared a “National Historical Landmark” by the National Historical Institute.