PROCESSING. A trainer from the Department of Agriculture lectures to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) about the processing of mushrooms at the Antique Rehabilitation Center (ARC) during their training on June 8-9, 2022. ARC Warden Eduardo Ebon, in an interview on Thursday (June 9) said the training aimed to help the PDLs learn how to process the mushrooms so they could earn money for their needs. (Photo courtesy of Antique PIO)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Thirty-seven persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Antique Rehabilitation Center (ARC) underwent a two-day culture processing training to level up their skills to develop other products from raw primary ingredients.
ARC Jail Warden Eduardo Ebon said in an interview Thursday that the PDLs were trained to process the mushroom into polvoron (Filipino shortbread cookie), chicharon (crispy fried mushroom), and bagoong (fermented mushroom)which they would be selling in the trade fairs and the local market.
“Since the PDLs had already been into mushroom culture, the training conducted by the Department of Agriculture (from June 8 to 9) is already sort of leveling up,” he said.
With the value-adding, they would not only be selling fresh mushrooms but also processed ones they can sell at a higher price.
Fresh mushrooms are sold at PHP200 per kilo in the local market while they have yet to determine the price for the goods that they will be selling.
“With the processing of mushroom in polvoron, chicharon and bagoong, the inmates would be able to sell it already for a higher price,” Ebon said.
ARC introduced the mushroom production technology to the PDLs in 2019 to earn for their basic needs and support their families while inside the jail.
They are also being assisted in the marketing of their products.
“Our objective was really to help the PDLs be able to use their time inside the ARC and at the same time have an income,” Ebon said. (PNA)
