A former person deprived of liberty or inmate of Mandaue City Jail receives his certificate of completion of the Mandaue City government’s Jail-based rehab program. | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — At least 63 Persons Deprived of Liberty have graduated from the Jail-based Rehabilitation Program of the Mandaue City government and Bureau of Jail Mangement and Penology (BJMP) Male Dormitory on Monday, Oct. 2.
The graduation was conducted at the new city jail facility in Barangay Basak. It was attended by the family of the PDLs.
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First batch of 63 inmates graduate
These 63 inmates are the first batch who underwent and graduated from the first-ever Jail Based Rehab Program.
The Katatagan, Kalusugan at Damayan ng Komunidad (KKDK) or Jail Based Rehab Program is a joint initiative of BJMP Male Dormitory and the City Government. It started last February 2023 after an inspection conducted by the Mandaue City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) team.
63 inmates or PDLs who graduated linked to illegal drugs
Lawyer Jonathan Baltar, jail superintendent, said that the PDLs who underwent the program were those cases involved in illegal drugs.
Baltar said that most of the cases of the over 1,500 PDLs were related to drugs.
The rehab program was six months long with two sessions every week.
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Most of 63 PDLs, who underwent training, released
A total of 63 inmates or PDLs graduated today but the program started with 150 PDLs. However, most of them have already been released.
Among those who graduated was Edward Monroid, 48 years old, from the municipality of Borbon.
PDL imprisoned last year for drug, released this September
Monroid was imprisoned in November last year for illegal possession of dangerous drugs or violation of section 11 of the Republic Act 9165 also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.
Monroid was released from prison in September this year. He went back to the facility to attend the graduation and get his certificate.
With the certificate, he is hopeful that he will find work. He planned to return to work as a driver of a bus company.
What one PDL learned from program
Monroid said that he learned a lot from the rehab program from treating other people right, discipline, and praying.
“Og wala ko naabot diri, wala ko kaamgo unsa diay kapait ug kalisod dinhi sa sulod. Akoang nakat-unan nga maayo’ng pamatasan ang ako gihapon dad-on sa gawas. Dako kaayo og tabang nako ang programa, mangadji mi, mag-exercise ug uban pa,” said Monroid.
Change mindset of PDLs
(If I did not reach here, I never realized how difficult and challenging it is here inside. I learned good manners that I will still do outside of jail. The program is a big help to me, we pray, we exercise and other things that we do.)
The city hopes that through this program, they can help change the mindset of the PDLs while in jail. It also benefits the PDLs since the courts can treat their rehabilitation program in jail as part of their sentence thereby reducing rehab time outside of jail. Some may even proceed to aftercare after their release from jail.
READ: From addiction to recovery: How barangay rehab programs help people overcome drugs
Mayor’s priority program
“Og nakabantay mo ngano ang Mandaue ra man ang LGU nagpush through ani dinhi with partnership sa BJMP, (it) is because usa ni siya sa priority program ni Mayor Jonas (Cortes). Dili lang businesses ang gusto’ng ipalambo, gusto sad niya ipalambo ang mga tawo,” said Manzano.
(If you noticed why Mandaue is the only LGU that is pushing through with it here with the partnership of the BJMP, (it) is because this is one of the priority programs of Mayor Jonas (Cortes). It is not only the businesses that he would want to improve, he also would want people to improve themselves.)
63 inmates new opportunity to change
“Kung aduna man gani tay kasayupan sa una dili na siya ang mo-judge nato moving forward. Let us not be judged by the things we did before. Nasayop naman ka, inyuha nang gibaryan karun, ang siyudad nihatag ninyo og opportunity nga magbag-o,” said Manzano.
(If we have committed a wrong before, that should not judge us moving forward. Let us not be judged by the things we did before. You committed a mistake, you paid for it now, the city is giving you an opportunity to change.)
“May ta’g makit-an ninyo ang mas maayo nga future sa gawas. Ang goal gyud nato ani nga mag bag-o ta. Kahibawo man ta nga walay end sa atoang recovery, constant ta,” he said.
(We hope that you see a better future outside of jail. Our goal here is to change for the better. We know that there is no end to our recovery, that is constant.)
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Coordination on how to make program better
Manzano said that they were in constant coordination with the Court of the Office of Administrator of the Supreme Court on how the program could be institutionalized so that it would be recognized by the different courts in Mandaue and that the release of PDLs would be hastened.
The city is also offering free Drug Dependency Exams to Mandauehanons incarcerated in the BJMP.
Through this, the city government hopes to decongest the jail to help it become more livable and conducive to the inmates.
The program was also attended by city officials and officers from the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue and Mandaue City Police Office among others.