KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — The management of the South Cotabato Rehabilitation and Detention Center (SCRDC) has assured the public that all persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) housed in the facility are provided with sufficient and quality food, emphasizing that no detainee goes hungry under its care.
Retired Police Colonel Barney Condes, provincial jail warden of SCRDC, affirmed that the daily food requirements of PDLs are consistently met, citing the strong support of the Provincial Government of South Cotabato.
According to Condes, the provincial administration has prioritized the welfare of PDLs, particularly their access to nutritious and adequate meals, as part of a broader commitment to humane detention and rehabilitation.
“The Provincial Government provides sufficient funds for the food of the PDLs. We make sure that the food they receive is of good quality. In addition, we have a vegetable garden inside the SCRDC, so the food they eat is adequate and healthy. Here inside the facility, no PDL goes hungry,” Condes said.
(Provincial Government ang nagahatag sang naga kaigo nga pundo para sa pagkaon sang mga PDLs. Ang pagkaon nila ginapasiguro naton nga quality gid. Luwas pa may gulayan kita sa sulod sang SCRDC, bastante kag healthy ang ila gina kaon. Diri sa sulod sang facility, wala sang PDL nga nagutuman).
The food provision program is backed by a dedicated budget allocated by the Provincial Government of South Cotabato, following the directive of Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr., who has ordered that due attention be given to the basic needs of PDLs.
This includes ensuring that meals served inside the detention facility are not only sufficient in quantity but also meet nutritional standards essential to maintaining the health and well-being of detainees.
SCRDC management underscored that all food served to PDLs undergoes a quality control process before distribution.
“This system is designed to ensure cleanliness, proper preparation, and compliance with nutritional requirements. Jail authorities regularly monitor food preparation and handling to maintain high standards and prevent any compromise in quality,” Condes explained.
In addition to the food supplies provided through provincial funding, SCRDC has implemented a vegetable gardening program within the facility, which serves as an additional source of fresh produce.
The garden contributes vegetables used in daily meals, helping supplement government-provided food while promoting sustainability and self-sufficiency.
The initiative also supports rehabilitation efforts by engaging PDLs in productive activities that teach basic agricultural skills.
Jail officials noted that the combined support from the provincial government and the facility’s internal food production helps ensure a stable and reliable food supply, even amid rising food costs and other logistical challenges.
The assurance from SCRDC comes amid increasing public interest in the conditions of detention facilities and the treatment of PDLs. By emphasizing adequate food supply, quality control, and nutritional value, the South Cotabato provincial government and SCRDC
