SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro (PIA) -- The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the 4th Infantry Battalion (4IB) of the Philippine Army received P1.1 million worth of humanitarian aid from the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Charities Philippines, Inc.

The BJMP received desktop computers,television sets, printers, chairs, and tables that will be used in the classroom put up for inmates of the San Jose District Jail.

Jail warden Ariel Pabulayan said majority of the 231 inmates, or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) have little to no education before their commitment to the jail facility. 

The BJMP, in partnership with the Department of Education, TESDA, and the Occidental Mindoro State College, provides alternative learning programs for the PDLs.

Brandon Hayne of LDS Charities observed that the lack of educational tools can impede the inmates' learning development.

“The [BJMP]…are trying to implement educational programs but they don’t have enough equipment. PDLs are there all day every single day without the ability to further their knowledge. What we want to do is to help them further their knowledge so that they can learn skills so that when they [are released], they will have job skills,” Hayne explained.

On the other hand, materials for the construction of a water system were turned over to the 4th Infantry Battalion, which will benefit 1,000 households in the mountainous area of Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro.

Capt. Carlo I. Martinez said the nearest potable water source from the community is five  kilometers away which affects the community’s overall health.

“Reluctant sila na mag-observe ng physical cleanliness, and medyo maraming nagkakasakit especially sa mga bata gaya ng cholera at gastrointestinal diseases dahil mahirap ang access sa clean water,

[The people are reluctant to observe physical cleanliness due to the difficult access to clean water. It also causes health problems, particularly in children, such as cholera and gastrointestinal diseases],” Martinez added.

Martinez underscored that the intervention will greatly impact the community’s development, contributing to alleviating poverty and armed conflict in the area, as it is one of the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC)- identified places on the island.

“Ang main goal [talaga ng ELCAC] is to alleviate the root cause of armed conflict which is poverty. With this intervention, tinutulungan po namin yung community na on their own, maka[tayo] sila sa kanilang sarili [na] labanan ang kahirapan,

[The main goal of ELCAC is to alleviate the root cause of armed conflict, which is poverty. With this intervention, we are capacitating the community so that they can fight poverty on their own],” he said.

In addition, the San Jose District Jail and the 4IB received medical equipment and supplies.

The LDS Charities is a non-government organization that provides humanitarian aid, covering emergency response, provision of clean water, health interventions, and food production to relieve suffering for families of all nationalities and religions and offer hope with the potential for a better life for millions of people around the world. (DSG/PIA MIMAROPA – Occidental Mindoro)