Baguio City

Within their most limited givens, prison inmates in the Cordillera will soon establish their own tree nurseries in response to the call for world-wide support to the campaign against climate change and environmental denudation.

This strategy to tap jailbirds gelled last Thursday afternoon when city mayor Mauricio Domogan and environment and natural resources regional executive director Clarence Baguilat found themselves inside the city jail.

The two officials inspected the inmates’ initial production of pine, calliandra, sour sop (guayabano) and other fruit tree seedlings and then inked an agreement to have their nursery project replicated to other prisons in the Cordillera.

Regional director, Sr. Supt. Abraham Lintao was out inspecting the other jails but earlier signed the document. He was represented by city jail warden, Supt. Rebecca Pawid who hatched the idea of blending prison reform with the environmental cause with volunteers, represented him in the signing ceremony.

“Napintas unay daytoy nga proyekto yo (This project of yours is a beautiful one),” the mayor told the inmates led by Salvador Tubedan, whom the wards of close to 500 elected as their chief of “Barangay Pag-asa”.

“Count us as your partners, the mayor said, noting need for everyone to contribute to the effort to stem climate change. “We will continue to support you in your effort to make a difference.”

The idea for the seedling production took form earlier this year after forester Emil Damogo, head of the clonal nursersy of the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and nursery foreman briefed some 20 inmates on seedling propagation.

The inmates and jail guards responded by clearing a small lot behind the prison building for a hands-on training in direct seeding and seedling potting, the result of which they showed to the mayor and Baguilat last Thursday.

The nursery project was formally launched last June 5, with DENR regional director for forestry Augusto Lagon representing Baguilat as guest of honor and speaker in the inmates’ observance of World Environment Day.

Some 10 years back, inmates of the city jail tried propagating pine seedlings which were planted by former prisoners then undergoing probation at the Busol Watershed.

By next week, the prisoners will be ready to receive orders for guava, pine, coffee and guayabano seedlings for sale, to enable them to earn for their basic needs and those of their families.

“We feel quite proud that our small project will soon be adopted in other jails in our region,” a woman inmate said. “We (women inmates) will concentrate on ornamental plants production.”

Pawid is eyeing a vacant lot behind the bars to expand the nursery and has asked the Lintao, Domogan and Baguilat to endorse her request for use of the same from the owners she has traced to Metro-Manila. – Ramon Dacawi.