Republic of the Philippines
House OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _ 33 5

Introduced by Honorable Mark Llandro L. Mendoza

EXPLANATORY NOTE

$ to advance agricultural industries for prisoners by
mandating all penal institutions with areas suitable for agriculture to implement
an agricultural program for prisoners. ¢

Over the past few weeks, soaring rice prices and looraing decline in rice
supply have been forcing the government and people to worry about rice
shortage. ‘The shortage in rice, our nation’s staple food, will continue to haunt
us and the solution lies not only in producing more out of the present base of
lands being cultivated, but also in identifying other potential lands suitable for
farming.

Collorarily, it is common knowledge that the living condition in ali our
jails is deplorable. This fact is made even more true with regard to food rations.
It is the duty of the State as mandated by the Constitution, that it respects and.
protects the physical and spiritual well being of our citizens. This includes
prisoners and detainees. Thus, a program that will alleviate their sub-human
conditions should be implemented.

Some of our penal institutions and regional prisons are endowed with
large tracts of arable lands which could be used for agricultural purposes,
particularly, the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City with land arca of 208.86
hectares, the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City with
land area of 15 hectares, the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental
Mindoro with land area of 8,327.40 hectares, the Davao Prison and Penal Farm
with land area of 5,426.97 hectares, the San Ramon Prison in Zamboanga City
with land area of 1,414.68 hectares and the Leyte Regional Prison with land
area of 861.6 hectares. There is so much to gain if we will utilize and allow our
prisoners to cultivate the arable lands in these penal institutions and regional
prisons.

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The implementation of the agricultural programs in the penal institutions
will increase rice and food production and will help ease the problem on rice
shortage. Further, it will reduce the cost of confinement of the prisoners by
making them productive and self sufficient, It will provide opportunities for the
inmates to earn, reduce their idle time, increase their morale, learn agricultural
skills and work attitudes that will assist them in their successfull rehabilitation
and re-integration into society upon their release. The proposal will set the
basis for the development of an efficient and effective rehabilitation and
reintegration program for prisoners.

In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill cptly recommended.


Republic of the Philippines
Houser Or REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Fifeenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 3395_

Introduced by Honorable Mark Llandro L. Mendoza
AN ACT
MANDATING ALL PENAL INSTITUTIONS WITH AREAS SUITABLE
FOR AGRICULTURE TO IMPLEMENT AN AGRICULTURAL
PROGRAM FOR PRISONERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Prison Agricultural Program. — The Bureau of
Corrections shall, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture,
implement an agricultural program in all penal institutions with areas suitable
for agriculture. The program shall provide training within their respective penal
institution to prisoners who will be allowed to work and cultivate the arable
areas and perform farming activities to produce crops and goods for their own
consumption or to be sold for profit. The profits derived from the program shall
be credited to the Prison Agriculture Revolving Fund

SEC. 2. Role of the Department of Agriculture. ~ The Department of
Agriculture shall supply the seeds, fertilizers, equipment and other implements

necessary for the agricultural program and shall provide technical support and

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advice to prison personnel on the management and maintenance of the prison
farm. It shall also provide the prisoners who will participate in the program the
necessary training on agriculture, equipment operations, and farming
procedures.

The head of the penal institution shall act as the custodian of the
agricultural supplies and equipment.

SEC. 3. Participation of Prisoners and Their Wages. — The prisoners
who will work in the farm as recommended by the head of the penal institution
shall be paid the minimum wage rate that is prevailing in the area where the
penal institution is located. The compensation shall be paid from the Prison
Agriculture Revolving Fund.

SE

4. Prison Agriculture Revolving Fund. ~ Every penal institution
implementing the agricultural program shall establish the “Prison Agriculture
Revolving Fund,” consisting of the earnings derived from the program.

The Prison Agriculture Revolving Fund shall be exclusively and
primarily used for the following:

a) Payment of wages of inmates who work in the prison farm; and

b) Acquisition of agricultural inputs, seeds and fertilizers and other
provisions for farming.

At the end of the year, fifty percent (50%) of the Prison Agriculture
Revolving Fund shall be given as dividends to all inmates who participated in

the agricultural program; twenty percent (20%) shall be utilized for the


improvement of the penal or prison facility; and the remaining thirty percent
(30%) shall be the start-up funds for the succeeding year.

SEC. 5. Reportial Requirement. — The Bureau of Corrections shall, in
coordination with the Department of Agriculture, conduct a review of the prison
agricultural program every two (2) years and submit a report to both Houses of
Congress. Said report shall contain the following information:

a) Rate of success, failure of the program;

b) Expenses incurred in the implementation of the program per
cropping season;

¢) __ List of inmates who participated in the program;

d) Benefits of the program;

©) Problems encountered in the implementation of the program; and

f) Recommendation of the heads of each of the penal institutions.

SEC. 6. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the initial
implementation of this Act shall be charged to the appropriations for the
Department of Agriculture. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the
continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days
after the effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Justice shall, in coordination
with the Secretary of Agriculture, issue such rules and regulations necessary for

the effective implementation of this Act.


_ SEC. 8. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations, rules and regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof, which are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.

SEC. 9. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fitteen (15) days after
publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general
circulation.

Approved,