TACLOBAN CITY – Ninety persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Tacloban City and Biliran province have received technical-vocational training and livelihood support to help them develop skills they can use during and after their incarceration.
In Tacloban City, 50 PDLs of the Tacloban City Jail Male Dormitory (TCJMD) completed training in Housekeeping NC II and Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) NC II.
Twenty-five PDLs completed each course during a graduation ceremony held Sept. 24 at the TCJMD Covered Court.
The training was conducted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Region 8 in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), UNIC Technological College Corp. and other stakeholders.
TESDA Provincial Director Enrico Banario, School Chief Executive Dr. Vilma Arteche, UNIC Technological College Corp. School Administrator Dr. Remilyn Lim and representatives of the Tacloban City government attended the ceremony.
The graduates received certificates and special awards, while those who completed Housekeeping NC II also received their TESDA training allowances.
In Biliran, another 40 PDLs received starter toolkits under the 2024 Special Training for Employment Program (STEP) of the TESDA-Biliran Provincial Office.
Twenty beneficiaries were from the BJMP and another 20 were from the Biliran Provincial Jail.
The toolkits were provided to complement the beneficiaries’ training in Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) NC I, NC II and NC III, enabling them to apply their skills and explore livelihood opportunities.
One PDL beneficiary expressed appreciation to TESDA and the Provincial Government of Biliran for providing the training and starter tools despite their circumstances.
He said the SMAW NC II training and the tools would help beneficiaries pursue livelihood opportunities and build a productive future after their release.
Biliran Provincial Jail Warden Maj. Gideon Batiquin said the jail has designated an area where trained PDLs can accept orders and perform welding jobs.
The facility gives the beneficiaries an opportunity to practice and further develop their skills while serving their sentences, while allowing them to potentially earn from their competencies.
The initiatives in Tacloban City and Biliran are part of efforts to equip PDLs with technical-vocational skills and livelihood opportunities that can support their eventual reintegration into the community.
Through training, certification and access to tools, the programs seek to help PDLs apply their acquired skills and engage in productive activities during and after their incarceration.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
