Irosin jail turns hydroponics harvest into food and livelihood for PDLs

Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at Irosin District Jail in Sorsogon are growing lettuce through a hydroponics project that provides food for the facility and a source of income for participating inmates.

The jail harvests about 100 heads of Olmetie lettuce every 45 days, selling each head for P25. Part of the harvest goes to PDLs for consumption, while proceeds from sales supplement their livelihood.

BJMP Bicol Information Officer Joefrie Barbacena Anglo said the project began on 10 February 2026 with hydroponics training facilitated by the Irosin Municipal Agriculture Office. It was implemented under the National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program, which promotes soil-less cultivation in areas with limited planting space.

The jail management also partnered with the Department of Labor and Employment through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program to build the hydroponic garden inside the facility.

Twenty-five PDLs and jail personnel attended training on hydroponics principles, equipment, system installation, and plant care and maintenance. A resource speaker from the Department of Agriculture in Irosin provided technical instruction.

During a facility inspection on 1 November, BJMP Bicol Regional Director Jail Senior Superintendent Jose Gemelo C. Taol commended the jail management and urged personnel to improve the system to increase production and ensure the project’s sustainability.

Anglo said the initiative supports rehabilitation by giving PDLs practical agricultural skills and livelihood experience they can use as they prepare to rebuild their lives after release.