A Garden With a Bigger Purpose
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The three-day training introduced female PDLs to urban agriculture as a practical activity that can be applied even where available space is limited. According to the Agricultural Training Institute, the program was designed to promote rehabilitation through livelihood development while also contributing to food security within correctional facilities. Participants were given an opportunity to learn about growing food rather than simply receiving finished products. That makes the project notable because the garden becomes a place for acquiring a skill that can remain useful beyond the training itself.
Turning Available Space Into Something Useful
Urban farming is particularly relevant in a city where agricultural land is not always readily available to every household or institution. Training people to cultivate vegetables in smaller spaces introduces another practical way of producing food and making use of resources that might otherwise remain unused. The program in GenSan forms part of ATI-RTC XII's broader work in promoting urban agriculture, showing that food production does not have to be limited to traditional farms. For participants, learning how to grow crops can provide a hands-on activity while developing knowledge that may be useful for future livelihood opportunities.
Skills That Can Continue After the Training
The value of the project extends beyond the three days spent learning agricultural techniques. Skills in planting, maintaining crops, and managing a small growing area can potentially be adapted to household gardens, community projects, or livelihood activities after participants return to their communities. The initiative also fits into a wider agricultural push in General Santos and SOCCSKSARGEN, where September activities brought attention to climate-resilient farming, community gardens, and new agricultural enterprises.
