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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Penal colony 'agri-hubs' to help achieve food security, 'Zero Hunger' goal– DA official

Penal colony 'agri-hubs' to help achieve food security, 'Zero Hunger' goal– DA official

Published Jul 20, 2023 09:53 am
The plan to transform idle penal colony lands into productive agriculture hubs will serve  as a blueprint for achieving food security in the country, a senior official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) said. Gerald Glenn Panganiban, director of the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry, said the success of the DA X DOJ (Department of Justice) Reformation Initiative for Sustainable Environment for Food Security (RISE) will also serve as a model to achieve the ambitious goal of Zero Hunger set by the President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.  "Through the DA X DOJ RISE Project, idle prison lands will soon be transformed into booming agriculture hubs with bustling vegetable farms, rice and corn fields, dairy pastures, fisheries, and agricultural support facilities,” said Panganiban. “This project can serve as a blueprint for developing similar agri-hubs to feed communities across the Philippines,” he added. The signing of the tripartite memorandum of agreement recently concluded between DA, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) was witnessed by the President himself.  During his remarks at the event, Marcos underscored food security and "Zero Hunger" as twin policy priorities of his administration. One of the main objectives of the DA X DOJ RISE Project, according to the agreement,  is to develop land areas and resources into productive agricultural camps or food production centers to contribute to the country's food security. The first agriculture hub under the RISE Project will be built on a 501-hectare plot of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.  The food staples to be grown on-site include rice, corn, cashews, and assorted vegetables. Likewise, the project will also include a tilapia fishery and a dairy production area. "The way to achieve food security and zero hunger in the Philippines is to modernize our farming tools and processes and boost agricultural production,” said Panganiban. “RISE agri-hubs will serve as important incubators of agricultural innovation and progress towards achieving the priority agriculture objectives of the President," he added.
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