ILOILO City – A hundred male persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Iloilo City District Jail – Male Dormitory are now better equipped to rebuild their lives after incarceration, following a focused one-day training on entrepreneurship and financial literacy held on Aug. 1 in Barangay Ungka II, Jaro district.
The initiative is part of the nine-day Jail Pantry Program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Iloilo Provincial Office through its Negosyo Centers (NCs) in Oton and Zarraga towns. It seeks to provide inmates with practical livelihood and money management skills to help them become self-sufficient and reintegrate smoothly into society upon release.
Ram Ydnar Ely Tribulete, Junior Business Counselor from NC Oton, led the entrepreneurship session, sharing insights on developing a basic business plan and cultivating a resilient business mindset.
The training emphasized the importance of having the right mindset when starting a business, especially in overcoming personal and financial challenges, Tribulete said.
Leo Siwagan of NC Zarraga conducted the financial literacy component of the program, teaching participants how to budget, save, and manage finances.
These lessons are seen as important tools for those hoping to start fresh after their time in jail, Siwagan added.
The training was supported by the Iloilo City Government, the Technical Institute of Iloilo City – Molo Campus, Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology – Iloilo City District Jail.
Organizers said the long-term goal is to reduce recidivism by empowering PDLs to become productive members of society./PN
