A second chance. A new beginning.
THIS is what the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) hopes to give to over 113,000 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) under its care — real change and a renewed sense of purpose.
More than a mandate, this is part of the DILG’s commitment to carry out the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to deliver justice with compassion and build a Bagong Pilipinas where no one is left behind, not even those behind bars.
To date, more than 112,000 PDLs have taken part in BJMP’s livelihood and skills training programs in jails across the country. But behind this number are real stories of pain, hope, and transformation.
One of them is Sandy Pagobo, a former PDL from Danao City Jail and a single father to three children. His journey to change started inside a jail cell, not outside it.
While serving time, Sandy enrolled in the Shielded Metal Arc Welding Training offered by Cebu Technological University. His dedication inspired him to teach and mentor fellow PDLs through the Sari-Sari Skills Training Program PDL Edition.
He now works as a pipe fitter in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
“This is all for my change, Ma’am. For my three children whom I want to finish college. That’s why I was determined to go abroad and by God’s grace, I made it,” Sandy said in Cebuano.
Lisa, not her real name, is currently detained at Legazpi City Jail. Through BJMP’s livelihood programs, she learned how to make doormats, bayong bags, dishwashing liquid, and even how to grow food through hydroponics.
Her earnings as a livelihood worker now allow her to send P1,000 a week to her son who is in Grade 12.
“Akala ko dati wala na akong patutunguhan. Pero dahil sa mga livelihood programs, natuto ako ng mga kasanayan na hindi ko akalaing magagamit ko kahit nakakulong ako. Nakakatulong na ako ngayon sa anak ko kahit ganito ang sitwasyon ko,” ani Lisa.
Joy, another PDL in Balungao District Jail, found her turning point in the kitchen. A single mother of two, Joy had juggled multiple informal jobs before she was detained. Her transformation began when she joined the Cookery NC II program, a 40-day culinary course offered by TESDA in partnership with BJMP.
Now, she helps 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.
“Gusto kong pakainin hindi lang ang sikmura, kundi pati ang mga pangarap ng mga taong katulad kong naligaw ng landas. Sa pagluluto, nabalik ‘yung kumpiyansa ko sa sarili. Ngayon, may pag-asa na ulit akong maibigay ang magandang kinabukasan para sa mga anak ko,” ani Joy.
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.
As DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said during BJMP’s 34th anniversary:
“Ang trabaho ng BJMP is to keep the country safer, to rehabilitate, and to ensure PDLs can return as contributing members of society. What you do matters.”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.
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