BATANGAS CITY, Batangas – One hundred persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Bansud District Jail have become beneficiaries of the second phase of the Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Worker (TUPAD) program, an initiative by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Unlike typical TUPAD beneficiaries who are assigned community improvement tasks, the PDLs were instead given a 15-day work program focused on learning table skirting and napkin folding. According to BJMP Mimaropa Information Officer, Jail Officer 3 Joefrie Anglo, the goal is to provide inmates with sustainable livelihood skills that they can use even after their release.
“The BJMP has been persistent in implementing the government’s emergency employment program in the region, not only to aid PDLs with immediate financial assistance but also to help them develop skills for sustainable employment,” Anglo said in a news release on Monday.
One of the beneficiaries, Rolando (not his real name), expressed his gratitude for the program. “Maraming salamat po at meron po akong maipapadalang kahit kaunting halaga sa aking pamilya. Masayang-masaya po ako at malaking tulong po ito sa amin (Thank you very much that I can now send even a small amount of money to my family. I’m really happy and this is a big help for us),” he said.
Acting district warden, Jail Senior Inspector Nelmar Malimata, emphasized that the government remains committed to providing assistance regardless of a person’s status. “The government will provide assistance regardless of your status, and every individual is worth a second chance,” he said. He also noted that the wages earned through TUPAD could either support the inmates’ families or serve as an initial personal investment upon their eventual release.
To ensure proper implementation, all beneficiaries attended an orientation facilitated by DOLE-Calapan and PESO-Bansud, where they were briefed on their assigned duties and contract obligations. Each participant receives a minimum wage of PHP 430 per day, based on Mimaropa’s standard eight-hour workday rate.