Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Calapan City District Jail are busy making traditional Christmas lanterns (parols) as the holiday season approaches, hoping for more orders and the chance to support their families.
The PDLs, who have been crafting the colorful lanterns since October 2024, are part of a welfare and development program by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) MIMAROPA.
The program offers PDLs a productive way to spend their time and teaches them valuable skills.
“It is still 46 days away, but the spirit of Christmas could already be felt by the jail communities over Southwestern Tagalog Region because they already have beautiful lanterns that PDLs have started making since last month,” JO3 Joefrie Anglo, Information Officer (IO) of the BJMP MIMAROPA, said.
Through this project, the BJMP MIMAROPA hopes to help inmates become more responsible citizens while also providing financial support to their families.
According to Anglo, the program has spread to at least 9 other jails in the region, with parols being made to inspire hope and bring in much-needed income during the Christmas season.
(with reports from JO3 Joefrie Anglo, IO-BJMP MIMAROPA)