The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro has transformed unused jail grounds into a thriving organic vegetable garden, providing a steady supply of nutritious food for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and jail personnel.

Jail Officer 1 Hazel Urieta, the community relations officer, said the project was launched under the leadership of acting warden Jail Senior Inspector Leslie Dangupon.

“The crops are grown organically as the PDLs and jail personnel use organic fertilizers and organic repellant against pests and insects. In this way, we are assured that the food we eat inside the jail are safe and healthy,” Urieta said.

The communal garden, which promotes urban gardening, helps the facility address food security while also easing expenses.

“With the rising cost of basic commodities, it pays when [you] grow your own food to help shorten food trips to the market,” Urieta added.

The 1,000-square-meter plot now produces a variety of vegetables, including string beans, ampalaya, pechay, okra, tomatoes, spinach, upland kangkong, mustard leaves, radish, cucumber, and eggplants.

Urieta said it also helps PDLs learn valuable skills they can use once they return to mainstream society.

“When they go back to mainstream society, they can tell a story that their stay in BJMP-MDJ has been both worthwhile and productive,” she said.

(with reports from JO3 Joefrie Anglo, IO-BJMP MIMAROPA)