Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) inside the Iwahig Corrections Facility (ICF) continue to supply vegetables to the Kadiwa outlet to offer agricultural products to the public at affordable prices.
ICF Supt. Raul Levita said that the agricultural produce from the penal farm was cultivated by the PDLs themselves for their own food supply. The excess, or at least half of their harvest, is sold to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Kadiwa outlet.
“Yong mga tinatanim na mga gulay in a collaborative effort with the Department of Agriculture, some of the seedlings were donated by the Yamang Bukid, and ang nagcu-cultivate ay ‘yong PDLs natin dito sa Iwahig,” Levita said.
“Noong siya ay inani na, ang maganda namin na ginawa ay pagbebenta kay Kadiwa dahil siya yong cooperative responsible sa pagbebenta sa taong bayan. Mas cheaper sa Kadiwa kumpara sa private entrepreneurs natin,” he said.
The Kadiwa outlet or also known as “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” is a project to link farmers or fisherfolk to the consuming public.
It became more beneficial as quarantine controls implemented wherein agricultural products of farmers who have no buyers due to absence of demands were sold at the Kadiwa outlet and Kadiwa on wheels.
“Wala akong exact figure (of volume) pero kasi staggered, kung bulk kasi agad masisira. Yong pagtatanim natin ay staggered para kapag inani. Meron kami talong, okra, amplaya, sitaw, yong mga nasa pakbet mostly,” he said.
Levita said that aside from selling their harvests, the prison management also use their agricultural products planted inside the prison premises to also feed the PDLs with healthy and nutritional meals.
“Yong mga pagkain di rin naman sasapat sa buong PDLs pero yong fresh vegetables natin ay pinapasok sa catering natin para ang kakainin ng ating PDLs ay fresh vegetable,” he said.
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