THIRTY persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) graduated and received their Training Certificates on Livelihood and Skills Training Program in Bread and Pastry Making and Food Processing in the Iloilo City District Jail-Male Dormitory in Barangay Ungka II in Jaro district on November 24, 2022.
Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC) Molo Campus, together with Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), provided skills assistance to the PDL completers.
The presentation and confirmation of graduates were graced by TIIC administrator Maria Mathilde Treñas, Councilor Miguel Treñas, and City Government officials to commend the PDLs for completing their trainings.
"On behalf of the PDLs, we are grateful to Mayor Jerry Treñas and the City Government for the continuous support here in BJMP and for providing us the skills trainings," said a PDL graduate.
“We are striving that on this second chance we will continue to work for our betterment and that as soon as we go out, we can be good citizens who could be of great help to the City of Iloilo,” he added.
BJMP received an amount of P300,000 seed capital. It was turned over by Congresswoman Julienne Baronda and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Carmelo Nochete.
The funds will be used for the establishment of a small business within the district jail, selling the goods learned during their training such as atsara, peanut butter, cookies, and other baked products.
"We appreciate Mayor Treñas' support, Foremost Milling Corporation, and stakeholders in providing programs on education and skills training for PDLs through TIIC. It is truly a merry and prosperous Christmas for our PDLs because of these programs," said BJMP Jail Warden Jairus Anthony D. Dogelio.
The project is a partnership between the City Government and partner stakeholders to equip the PDLs with skills that they can use as a source of livelihood after their release from rehabilitation.
"The City Government provides opportunities like jail pantry training to equip them with various skills that even if they are inside, they could be productive. And once they leave their rehabilitation, they can apply the learnings from the training programs wherein they will know how to utilize their skills and possibly make a living out of it as they are also taught financial literacy," Treñas said. (PR)