ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has urged the public to support the persons deprived of liberty (PDL) by patronizing their handcrafted lanterns.

Some 50 PDLs from the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center (ZCRC) male dormitory have embarked on a lantern-making project, dubbed as “Paskong may Puso Lanterns,” in time for the yuletide seasons.

“Handcrafted lanterns made by PDLs at the ZCRC are now available. Despite the pandemic, the ZCRC continues the tradition of making colorful and vibrant lanterns that was started decades ago,” Salazar said.

“Aside from bringing joy and hope to Zamboangueños during the Holiday season, the lantern-making activity provides the PDL the opportunity to be productive amidst uncertainties brought by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19),” she added.

Senior Jail Officer 2 (SJO2) Laurence Comprendio, ZCRC information officer, said Wednesday that 10 percent of the lantern sales go to the PDL’s welfare and development fund.

Comprendio said the fund will be used for the activities of the PDLs while the remaining income in sales will be divided among those who are involved in the lantern-making activity.

He said the prices of lanterns vary from P200 to P1,500 each.

“They also do customized lanterns,” he added.

The lantern-making activity is a yearly tradition of the PDLs in time for the Christmas season. (SunStar Zamboanga)