CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – There is no doubt the Christmas season in the country is the longest on earth, with the month of September – the first in the so-called ‘ber’ months – serving as the harbinger of joys and fun everyone could hope for.
The long season is also a perfect time for the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in Cagayan de Oro City Jail in Barangay Lumbia who have started to give light on the holiday season with their finely-crafted ‘parols’ (Christmas Lanterns).
Apart from boosting their talents under the Skills and Enhancement Program, the Christmas parol-making is part of the annual tradition of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to make PDLs feel the true spirit of Christmas despite being behind bars.
It would also help the PDLs to make income inside the facility, said Jail Officer 1 Carole Momongan, the community relations service officer of Cagayan de Oro City Jail-Male Dormitory, in an interview on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Momongan explained that the lanterns that would be produced by the PDLs would be sold online, or through their Facebook page where the products and the prices are indicated. This is apart from the pre-orders from the different government agencies here.
“As to the materials, we provide here in City Jail and we also provide labor. Regarding the income, apart from the labor, the PDLs also have percentage as their share,” she added in vernacular.
The prices of the Christmas lanterns made by the PDLs range from P150 to P250, which can also be seen on the Facebook page of Cagayan de Oro City Jail - Male Dormitory.
Based on what they normally practice, the 40 percent of the income would be given to the PDLs and the remaining percentage would be used to buy for the materials and other financial purposes to sustain the livelihood programs.
The Cagayan de Oro City Jail is also planning to keep up with the trend and do ‘online live selling’ for the first time to market not just the Christmas lanterns, but also the other livelihood products made by the PDLs.
“We still need to set a schedule for that, maybe in the month of October,” Momongan said.
The female dormitory of the Cagayan de Oro City Jail is also part of the activity.
Momongan said the City Jail, particularly in the male dormitory, has 2,496 male PDLs.
Beside selling, the BJMP Northern Mindanao also has annual region-wide competition to showcase the best lanterns made by the PDLs. It would also lead them to focus on the event and put extra effort.
The said region-wide competition, Momongan said, will be held in the first week of December this year.
Under the BJMP’s Skills and Enhancement Program, the agency would conduct livelihood programs and activities that are related to the skills of every PDL for their welfare and development.
On the lighter side, Momongan said that PDLs who have been active in different activities have corresponding credit under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law.
The Republic Act 10592 or the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law, allows for a reduction of sentences of persons deprived of liberty, depending on how well they abide by rules and regulations inside ‘any penal institution, rehabilitation, or detention center or any other local jail.’ Momongan urged the public to support the products made by the PDLs for their well-being and provide them the capability to also help their family.
“Actually, the PDLs have said that they would be very happy if the products they worked hard for sell out. They really felt that they are still useful despite their current situation,” Momongan said.