Handicrafts made by Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) at the Iligan City Jail’s male dormitory are shown to guests from the Department of Labor and Employment on Wednesday (July 9, 2025). The Iligan City jail facility is the first in Northern Mindanao to receive DOLE’s livelihood program grant. (Photo courtesy of BJMP-Iligan Male Dorm)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The male dormitory of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Iligan City has become the first jail facility in Northern Mindanao to receive a livelihood program grant from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
DOLE 10 (Northern Mindanao) officially turned over a PHP350,000 seed grant for the dormitory’s “Handicrafts Behind Bars” initiative on Wednesday. The project falls under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP).
Jail Officer 2 Walter Mainit Jr., the dormitory’s focal person, said the initiative is a departure from conventional rehabilitation approaches for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
“Through the grant, the jail’s registered PDL association ‘Workers Behind Bars’ will serve as lead implementer, managing a suite of creative and sustainable livelihood activities,” he said in a statement.
Elmar Patilan, chair of the Workers Behind Bars, said the DILP represents a shared commitment to breaking cycles of hopelessness through skills training and structured opportunity.
The DILP, also known as the Kabuhayan Program, is a grant-based initiative designed to support marginalized sectors. (PNA)