Kabankalan inmates keep themselves busy earning money
Inmates of facility of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental are making themselves busy weaving native bags.
Rosalito Amato has been in jail for three years because of possession of illegal drugs. Now, he finds himself in demand inside Kabankalan jail because he makes fine woven bags.
Instead of doing nothing inside the BJMP facility, he keeps himself busy making bags. This way, he said, he can also earn money.
“At least we have something to do, and what I love about weaving bags is that I get to earn money to spend for my personal needs” Rosalito said.
The bags are made from “pandan” tree leaves.
The livelihood project was introduced to inmates by the city government last year.
Usually, inmates are busy making bags during trade fair exhibits, but after Jail Warden Senior Inspector Jhon Montero saw how much the livelihood project benefited his inmates, he made it a daily activity for them.
” It is not only to keep them away from boredom but I would also like to help them in earning money so they can have something to give to their families when they visit them here,” said Montero.
Native handbags usually sell P350 each while a knapsack would cost P400.
P150 per bag goes to the inmates who make the bag.
A good enough reason for Rosalito to spend six days finishing a bag so he can sell it immediately.
Public school teachers usually visit the BJMP to buy the bags the inmates make.
Rosalito used to think that he has become a burden to his family after being he was imprisoned but now, he does not have to ask for money from his family. Instead he hands them money every time they visit him.
Rosalito, with a smiling face, even boastfully said: “I used to ask money from them to buy my personal needs, now I get to spend for myself and even save a few amount to give them every time they pay me a visit.”
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