The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported Thursday that the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) procured a total of P46.1 million worth of fresh, high-quality, and locally grown produce directly from farmers to ensure the delivery of healthier meals for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

The initiative is made possible through the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), a convergence program of the BJMP and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) that aims to mitigate hunger, ensure food and nutrition security, and reduce poverty in both urban and rural communities, including the country’s 167,000 PDLs nationwide.

The program aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to uphold the human rights of PDLs by improving their living conditions through measures such as jail decongestion and the provision of adequate, nutritious food.

Middlemen skipped

By coordinating directly with DAR, the BJMP has effectively bypassed traditional middlemen and corporate suppliers, sourcing instead from agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) or farmer groups. This ensures that PDLs receive fresher, higher-quality food at a lower cost, while providing farmers with a stable, reliable market.