DAR celebrates Independence Day with persons deprived of liberty

          TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) chose to celebrate the 123rd Independence Day on June 12 with persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the different jail facilities throughout the country.

          In Eastern Visays, some 40 PDLs at the Female Dorm of the Tacloban City Jail were surprised with food packs from the DAR Regional Office-8 which they shared with jail personnel.

          According to DAR’s Program Beneficiaries Development Division Chief, Melecia Ong, “This is DAR’s way of expressing our gratitude to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for supporting the agrarian reform beneficiaries by purchasing their products under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP).”

          Ong disclosed that BJMP is among the institutional buyers of ARB products, which they use in feeding the PDLs.

          Meanwhile, JINSP Fe Reynalda Chan of the Tacloban City Jail Female Dorm said, “Continuous coordination and linkages to other government and non-government organizations in the community is highly recommended to augment the needs of the PDLs while temporarily confined at this jail unit.”

          Further, in Eastern Samar, the DAR Provincial Office likewise provided the Borongan City Jail, as well as the Guiuan and Balangiga District Jails with “free” fruits and vegetables, which the said jail facilities could use in the preparation of the meal for the 115 PDLs in the province on that day. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)