The Christmas season promises to become a brighter time in the coming years for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in San Juan City. This, as the city’s Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) participated in a Virtual Consultative Dialogue with DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) last 20 August 2021.
According to City Jail Warden Mr. Jose Marie D. Sabeniano, the parol-making project is a source of livelihood for the PDLs and their families. Among San Juan City-BJMP’s concerns were the tools or equipment needed to speed-up production; preservative treatment to improve lantern durability and quality; skills upgrading; and possible sources of bamboo.
Meanwhile, for next year, DOST-FPRDI’s possible interventions may include trainings on the following topics for the San Juan City PDLs: Handmade Paper Making; Treatment and Preservation of Bamboo and other Raw Materials; Bamboo Furniture/Handicrafts Processing Technology; and the Operation of Wood/Bamboo Processing Equipment.
“We are excited to share our technologies with the BJMP,” said Dr. Maria Cielito G. Siladan, OIC Chief of the Technical Services Division. “Hopefully, thru these capacity building activities, the Institute could help develop higher-value products and handicrafts, and introduce other livelihood ideas to PDLs. They will also be invited to several FPRDI training webinars this month.”
The consultative dialogue was initiated by the DOST-National Capital Region, which will also prepare the Memorandum of Agreement for the upcoming technical assistance services. ### (Apple Jean C. Martin- de Leon & Maria C. Reyes, 02 September 2021)
