Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the General Trias City Jail will experience a festive Holiday season spirit with granted requests from the "PDL Christmas Wish Tree."
General Trias City Jail warden Chief Insp. Williamere Villaester said that the ‘PDL Christmas Wish Tree’ was designed to provide hope to the inmates that showed that people still care for them despite their situation.
Since the PDL Christmas Wish Tree was made, Villaester noted that many PDLs had their simple requests granted them renewed hope in being productive and law-abiding citizens in the future.
This also ensures that the PDLs may still enjoy the Holiday season spirit even if they are temporarily incarcerated in the jail facility, according to Villaester in an interview over ABS-CBN.
"Sabi ko nga, kahit very simple lang ito para sa atin na nagbabasa ng mga wishes na ito for them (PDLs), I think it’s everything. Dahil nagdaan ang pandemic at hindi sila nadadalaw, at biglang may mga nag-grant ng kanilang mga simple wishes na ibang tao at hindi family nila. So malaking bagay ito sa kanila (Like what I said, even if it seems to be simple wishes for us the readers, for them I think it is everything. Due to the pandemic, they were not visited and suddenly other people and not from their family granted their simple wishes. So this means so much to them),’’ Villaester explained.
Villaester pointed out that the PDLs’ requests are simple by normal standards lile slippers, shorts, t-shirts, soap, toothpaste, coffee, pails of biscuits, grocery items, ice cream, chocolate, roasted chicken and fried chicken from a popular fast food chain.
The jail warden added that there are some PDLs requesting for reading glasses and artificial legs.
One of the inmates, Alex, 22, was very happy to receive boxes of chocolates on Nov. 29, saying that it is his ‘favorite’ and intends to share it with his father who is also in the said dorm.
He noted that getting a new set of slippers was also a bonus.
Alex and his father have been languishing in jail for a year for illegal drug related charges.
Another PDL, “Tatay Robert’’, 53, who has been in jail for two years due to carnapping charges was very thankful for receiving his requested hygiene kit from an unknown donor.
Aside from the PDL Christmas Wish Tree, the General Trias City Jail also has the ‘Sponsor a Release Program’, a project where handicrafts made by the PDLs are sold to fund their bail handed down by the court and other expenses for their release. (Chito A. Chavez)