What a better way to fight corruption than to turn to rice farming.

The Philippine National Police yesterday started with its ambitious "Pag-asa sa Nayon" project Gloria Hybrid Rice Production which aims to generate income for the 113,000-strong police force.

"Through this project, we hope our policeman can increase their family income and strengthen the fight against corruption," said Director Ricardo F. de Leon, of the PNP Directorate for Police-Community Relations.

The project involves the planting of "Gloria hybrid rice' on an estimated 396,00 hectares of land in Bulacan, Laguna, Batangas, Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental and Nueva Ecija. It will be introduced initially to policeman and their families and then replicated across the country.

The Gloria Hybrid Rice, otherwise known as F1, has been proven to have higher yield compared to traditional rice seed varieties. It also has better taste, texture and greater resistance to pests and diseases, officials explained.

De Leon said a four week seminar on the rice program will start next month begins May. Target harvest time is August.

Aside from rice farming the PNP will also turn to other livelihood programs including bangus and tilapia raising and vegetable farming this year.

PNP Chief Director General Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr., Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr., and Federation of Filipino-Chinese chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. president John KC Ng signed a memorandum of agreement in connection with the launching of the project at Camp Crame.

The even was witnessed by John Kaw, chairman of the FFCCCII peace and order committee and Henry Lim bon Liong, chairman and chief executive officer of the SL Agritech, the company behind the production of Gloria hybrid rice.

Ebdane described the program as a "solid step towards improving police productivity."

De Leon said they entertained the idea after they visited the SL Agritech experimental farm in Laguna and were impressed by the success story of the super-hybrid rice program.

"We even ate rice from the farm," he said.

De Leon said the program will reduce incidence of PNP personnel resorting to illegal means just to earn money.