More than 113,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have benefited from the livelihood and skills training program of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), preparing them to be productive citizens in mainstream society upon their release from detention.

“This is what the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology hopes to give to over 113,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) under its care: real change and a renewed sense of purpose. But behind this number are real stories of pain, hope, and transformation,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.

The BJMP is an attached agency of the DILG.

Under the BJMP’s program, the DILG cited several former PDLs who were given a new lease on life, leading to their transformation as models for reformation.

Sandy Pagobo, a single father to three children, began his journey to change inside the Danao City Jail in Cebu.

While serving time, Pagobo enrolled in the shielded metal arc welding training offered by Cebu Technological University which inspired him to teach and mentor fellow PDLs.

After serving his sentence, Pagobo now works as a pipe fitter in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, the DILG said.

At the Legazpi City Jail, a PDL named “Lisa” learned how to make doormats, “bayong” or native bags, and dishwashing liquid. She also learned how to grow food through hydroponics under the BJMP's livelihood programs.

The DILG noted that Liza’s earnings as a livelihood worker now allow her to send P1,000 a week to her son who is a Grade 12 student. 

Another PDL from Balungao District Jail in Pangasinan named “Joy” found her turning point in the kitchenware where her transformation began when she joined the Cookery NC II program, a 40-day culinary course offered by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in partnership with BJMP.

Joy, a single mother of two who had juggled multiple informal jobs before being detained, helped run the jail’s internal kitchen, feeding fellow PDLs and mentoring other women along the way. 

“Her dream is to open a small carinderia when she’s released, one that welcomes and empowers other women like her,” the DILG revealed.

“These stories are not isolated. They are proof that rehabilitation is possible, and that redemption begins the moment we invest in people’s potential, not their past,” it added.

DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla stressed that the BJMP’s mandate is to rehabilitate and ensure the PDLs can return as contributing members of society. 

“Indeed, behind every bar of steel is a life that can still be changed. Through programs that restore dignity and rebuild hope, BJMP proves that justice in the Philippines is not only about confinement, but about compassion as well,” he pointed out.