DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Local handicrafts made by inmates, or, Persons Deprived with Liberties (PDL), will be on sale to the public in time for the 34th Kadayawan festival celebration.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) XI set up a 3-day bazaar this coming August 2-4, 2019 to showcase the creation of different PDLs as part of the agency’s effort of a “humanistic approach”.
Local products from Davao City Jail like paintings and clutch bags made by female inmates, as well as coin banks made of PVC pipes created by male inmates, are some of the products on display along with other creations from 10 other jails in Davao region.
Jail Inspector Ellen Rose C. Saragena, who is the BJMP Community Relations Service Chief, said the bazaar is one of the income generation programs that the agency is facilitating to expand the market of their products.
“Usually, the products are sold to VIPs when they visit the jail, or with the facilitation of some non-government organizations. This time, we want the public to know that our PDLs are capable of creating something nice and useful,” said Saragena.
The BJMP XI admitted to having a tight budget for their PDLs which numbers more or less 5,000 individuals in the entire region.
Each PDL has a daily budget of Php70.00 a day for their food allowance, clothing, and other personal needs. This amount said Saragena is not enough especially since the budget intended for them are not fully given by the government.
“Usually, we (jail personnel) shell out personal money as the capital for their products. This is just to help them find income while inside our jails,” said Saragena.
At present, 80 percent of the jail population are involved in the income generation program. Saragena added that almost 100 percent of the female population are active and engaged in various handicraft making.
“Some of our PDLs tend to support their family because of their handicrafts. This is very helpful for their relationship with their family and personal development,” Saragena explained. (davaotoday.com)
