Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Misamis Oriental will still have livelihood and education assistance once the provincial jail facility here is transferred to its new location, an official assured Friday.

Provincial board member Wayne Militante, who chairs the Committee on Finance and Appropriation, said they will include a budget for livelihood training for inmates in 2024 for the continued implementation of the program.

Militante said the site of the new Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) in Initao town, which can accommodate 1,200 PDLs, is nearing completion at 72 percent.

Jail warden Robert Roy Bahian said they will maintain the livelihood training for PDLs since the program started in 2014.

“Inmates get livelihood training for them to maximize their time while inside the jail and learn new skills,” he said.

The training is provided under the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education (DepEd), whose courses include massage therapy, electronics, tailoring, and handicrafts.

Enrolled PDLs are expected to allocate three hours in the subjects which will be conducted five times a month.

In its old facility located in the capitol compound here, the MOPJ inmates are famous for their Christmas lantern-making where their finished products are usually displayed just outside the facility as early as November each year.

Board member Dexter Yasay, chair of the committee on peace and order, said the provincial board already approved in the third and final reading Ordinance No. 38-2023 mandating the transfer of MOPJ.

“The present provincial jail is currently located at the heart of the city near malls, hospitals, and churches adjacent to the provincial capitol. The provincial board has earlier proposed for its transfer to a bigger site,” Yasay said.

The new MOPJ facility has an area of five hectares with facilities that include a canteen, hospital, sports area, and livelihood center. (PNA)