The Baguio City Jail-Male Dorm now has a library.
City Jail-Male Dorm Warden Jail Superintendent April Rose Ayangwa and city officials led the ribbon cutting and opening of the library inside the jail facility of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the city recently.
Ayangwa said the library aims to provide learning opportunities for personal development, well-being, and ultimately, rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty. It also aims to incorporate reading activities as one of the options for PDLs to earn time allowance for study, teaching, and mentoring.
She said the establishment of the library was initially a directive by the national headquarters and through the help of various support groups, service providers, and other stakeholders, the city jail was able to establish a functional library used not only for educational purposes but also for the decongestion program of the BJMP.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the unit library is a decal of hope in the darkness of incarceration.
It will serve as a source of knowledge providing access to array of books – literature and educational sources to the persons deprived of liberty.
“The library is a not a mere collection of books but it is a symbol of empowerment offering the persons with disability opportunities to expand their horizons, discover new passions, and acquire valuable skills. Through this initiative, we can empower them to acquire the skills and knowledge that will be valuable upon reintegration into society,” Magalong said.
Soledad Go, who represented Rep. Mark Go, lauded the efforts of the Baguio City Jail management for the establishment of the library inside their facility, which will be very useful and functional for persons deprived of liberty until they will go back to the mainstream society someday.
“This is a very laudable project because it will not only open the minds of the persons deprived of liberty but it will actually mold their minds in the long run,” Go said.
“This is a form of education, and Cong. Mark’s advocacy is on education, how to mold and enhance the minds of our citizenry and the persons deprived of liberty are no exception,” she added.
Go encouraged the residents in the city jail to continue to read books and educate themselves even inside the jail facility not only to improve their reading skills but also as a way to channel their mental health and avoid depression inside the city jail.
Meanwhile, the city jail management and residents are appealing to stakeholders to pitch in support for the new library facility by providing books and other learning materials that they could use such as books on psychology, values, and law for some residents who want to study their cases. – Redjie Melvic Cawis
