The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has launched the “National Painting, Handicraft Making and Songwriting Challenge for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs)’’ in support of the administration’s illegal drug campaign.
In Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2024-020, DILG Secretary Benjamin “Benhur’’ Abalos Jr. explained that the administration of the President aims to to continue with the illegal drug campaign ‘within the framework of the law and with respect for human rights and with the focus on rehabilitation and socio-economic development.’’
Paramount to the campaign and the strategies in the Philippine Anti-Drugs Strategy (PADS), Abalos assured that the DILG is committed in mobilizing the local government units (LGUs) and other sectors to support and promote the advocacy and education campaigns against illegal drugs.
Under the Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) program, Abalos stated that two of its components include the Preventive and Health Promotion Pillar and Penology, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Pillar are “directly associated with the responsibilities of the correction sector of the criminal Justice System.’’
He noted that the DILG, through the local government supervision, Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy-Project Management Office and Bureau of Jail management and Penology (BJMP), enjoined all PDLs to participate in the “National PDL Painting, Handicraft-Making and Songwriting Challenge.’’
The DILG chief asserted that the program aims to raise the PDLs’awareness, adding that their participation will have a tremendous positive impact on the eradication of illegal drugs in the Philippines.
With two levels in the competition, Abalos explained that the competition at the regional level will be supervised by the BJMP and DILG Regional Office, while the two-day national level competition will be handled by the BJMP National Headquarters and DILG Central Office.
Open to all PDLs currently detained at the BJMP-manned jails, Abalos said that this allows them to participate in the competition during their confinement, develop their skills, continue to gain knowledge and bring out their creative expression and artistic ability and showcase and promote their artistry.
The winners of the top prize in the competition at th regional level will receive a P20,000 cash incentive, trophy and certificate, while the second and third placed PDLs will get P15,000 and P10,000 cash incentives, trophies and certificates respectively.
Abalos lamented that 10 PDLs will also receive consolation prizes of P2,000 each while certification of participation will be handed out to all participating jail units.
At the national level, the winning PDL will receive P150,000 cash incentive, trophy and certificate while the second ranked and third places winners will get P100,000 and P50,000 cash incentives plus trophies and certificates respectively.
Consolation prizes of P5,000 each will be awarded to 14 PDLs at the national level.
With funding coming from the Ciara Marie Abalos Foundation, the cash incentives will only be received by the immediate family of the winners, subject to the availability of funds and existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
The BJMP and the Local Government Supervision will provide the logistical support for the competition.
Abalos stressed that all the participating PDLs will waive their intellectual property rights in favor of the BJMP with the bureau having the sole discretion on the use, selling and distribution of the submitted entries, subject to available accounting rules and regulations.