The Puerto Princesa City Jail (PPCJ) lighted its giant Christmas star Friday night and launched the “adopt-a-dorm” program for the benefit of its detainees or persons deprived of liberty (PDL).
Jail Senior Insp. Irene Gaspar said the adopt-a-dorm is a new program at the city jail where partners can help in detention reform activities.
“Ang adopt-a-dorm program po ay isa sa mga bagong programa ng Puerto Princesa City Jail. Meron tayong nilapitan na mga partners natin na kung saan tinatawag natin silang ‘adopter’. Sila ang ating nilapitan, ang mga indibidwal, mga grupo na puwedeng tutulong sa ating mga PDL sa kanilang mga pangunahing pangangailangan,” she said.
Gaspar said out of 23 dorms or cells in the city jail, 10 have so far been adopted by sponsors.
Under the adoption program, “adopters” will sign memoranda of agreement with the jail management which states their provision of support to the adopted dorms for a year.
The support includes the supply of toiletries, foods and all the adopters can offer.
The number of recipients per dorm varies in capacity. There are dorms with 20, 30, or even 40 detainees.
Gaspar hopes the number of adopters will increase after their launching on December 13.
“Kung may mga willing pa na maging adopter, puwede tayong pumunta sa Puerto Princesa City Jail. Bukas ang aming pintuan para amin pong would-be-service providers, upang makatulong sa ating mga PDLs,” she said.
Meanwhile, one of the highlights of the program was the traditional lighting of PPCJ’s giant Christmas parol.
Gaspar said the white color of the giant parol symbolizes the purity of intention to deliver good work of the personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
“Sa ngayon ang parol natin kung makikita po natin ay pure white. Kumbaga pino-promote natin ngayon ang simplicity, purity na maikukumpara natin sa pagbibigay natin ng serbisyo sa ating mga PDL kaya white po siya ngayon,” she said.
The parol is made up of indigenous materials and charcoal often used in making small Christmas lanterns.
She said it took five days for the detainees to complete their “Parol ng Pagbabago”.
