The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in the Soccsksargen region once again linked arms through a memorandum of understanding renewing their ties to fight hunger and poverty in the countryside.
The renewed tie-up involved the signing of a marketing agreement under the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) program, where government institutions work together to support feeding programs and provide community meals for workers and laborers.
Regional Director Mariannie Lauban Baunto said the DAR-BJMP partnership is in its third year of implementation and it continues working hand-in-hand with BJMP to benefit the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
“The partnership ensures stable market supply to ARBs and their organizations because they provide vegetables and farm products needed for the daily nutritional needs of the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the region,” she said.
Baunto added that the DAR would double its commitment to fully coordinate and work closely with the BJMP for another successful year of implementation of the PAHP program.
This undertaking is in consonance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through the leadership of DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III, to uplift the economic lives of the farmers.
BJMP XII Regional Director J/CSupt Leo Baldon, thanked the DAR for the renewed partnership as it ensures the PDL’s good health and general well-being.
“We are optimistic that just like in the previous years, our aim in providing healthy nutritional meals to the PDLs, as well as supporting helping our farmers in their livelihood will be achieved,” he said.
During the signing ceremony, plaques of appreciation were awarded to BJMP regional office XII and to Gensan City Jail-male dormitory, for garnering the highest marketing sales since 2020. Jail warden J/Supt Reuben Olivo and food service supervisor SJO1 Joehmar Dalogdog received the plaque.
Tokens of gratitude from livelihood projects made by PDLs were also given to Baunto and Assistant Regional Director H. Roldan Ali.
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