“IN BACOLOD, no one gets left behind,” said Chief Inspector Ruth Estales, warden of the Metro Bacolod District Jail (MBDJ) in Barangay Singcang-Airport.
Estales said this during the first ever MassKara Special Indoor Street Dance competition held on Oct. 22 in two jail facilities in Bacolod City.
Thirty-five persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the MBDJ in Singcang-Airport went head-to-head with another 35 PDLs from the MBDJ in Handumanan in the contest that also coincided with the celebration of the National Correctional Consciousness Week.
“We are grateful for the support from the city government, allowing the inmates to showcase their talents,” said Estales.
The city government has allocated P100,000 cash assistance to each jail facility. The money was used for the costumes and props of the competing teams.
The inmates performed their MassKara-themed dance routines at their respective jail facilities.
“If you’re a PDL, you can still smile in City of Smiles,” said Senior Inspector Norberto Miciano, warden of the MBDJ in Handumanan.
Miciano stressed that they encouraged the jailbirds to do their best and they were not disappointed.
“We are very proud that they finished the performance and they performed it well,” he added.
The dance routine of the MBDJ in Handumanan was choreographed by a former detainee there.
The inmates “worked hand in hand” in making the costumes and props, said Miciano.
Meanwhile, the inmates at the MBDJ in Singcang-Airport learned their dance routine from their fellow detainee who worked as a choreographer.
Estales said the performance of the PDLs is one way to promote Bacolod’s MassKara Festival.
Aside from the overall winner, awards such as the Best in Headdress, Best in Concept and Best in Costume will also be given. The results will be announced today. (Photos from Bacolod City PIO/PN)
