May 5, 2024

Seventy five persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the male dorm of the Baguio City Jail recently completed an in-house skills training course on Contact Center Servicing.
A project of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology through the initiative of City Jail Male Dorm Warden Superintendent April Rose Ayangwa, the skills training was conducted in partnership with the Asian-Tech Hub Academy (ATHA) Inc., and the Department of Information and Communication Technology through the Training for Work Scholarship Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The PDLs received their certificates during a graduation ceremony on April 8 graced by Tesda-Benguet Director Arlene Cadalig, DICT-Benguet Director Alicia Piacos, ATHA Director Dennis Calvin Tan, and Covenant City Church Pastor Ricardo Bagalawis Jr. as the inspirational speaker.
Ayangwa congratulated the PDLs for finishing the training, and expressed hope that they may serve as inspiration to others.
“To all of us here, this day serves as a reminder that even in times of trials and challenges in our life, we can still persevere and be triumphant through hard work and determination. So, congratulations to all the graduates and continue to use the skills you have learned to give light and better opportunity for you, the community and of course, to your family,” Ayangwa said.
In behalf of the graduates, a PDL expressed gratitude to all those who made their skills training possible, and encouraged his fellow PDLs to continue to persevere amid the various challenges.
“In this class, we have learned to become a customer service representative. We have learned to make things simple, to focus on what must be accomplished, and to have that initiative and motivation to work. It’s within oneself that starts everything. If you want to achieve something, do it. You have all the time and effort to do so, maybe not today, but soon. After we’ve gone this far, we have faced many trials and struggles, we are now in this momentous occasion, happy, and gaining the will, the feeling of being proud of ourselves,” he said.
Tan assured ATHA’s continuing support to the BJMP’s endeavor to provide skills training to the PDLs that will provide them opportunity to pursue their dreams towards a renewed and better life.
Meanwhile, BJMP Cordillera Director JS/Supt. Kenneth Bid-ing signed a memorandum of agreement with ATHA officials for the implementation of similar undertakings in the different jail facilities in the region. – Carlito Dar with reports from Hershey Vallo