BACOLOD City – The city government of Victorias in Negros Occidental inked a memorandum of understanding to implement various rehabilitation programs for the 148 parolees and probationers in the city.
Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez signed the partnership on Friday, Jan. 12, with Administrator Bienvenido Benitez Jr. of the Department of Justice-Parole and Probation Administration (DOJ-PPA), Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Jose Franciso Benitez, City Schools Division Superintendent Portia Mallorca of the Department of Education, DOJ-PPA Region 6 Chief Officer Grace Tomaro, and Chief Probation and Parole Officer Annie Abellar of Victorias and Silay cities, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Parolees and probationers will avail of various reintegration programs for livelihood, entrepreneurship, capability building, and others.
The city government will also converge with its partner agencies for community organization, monitoring, and evaluation.
The partnership aims to accelerate sustainable economic development in the city and promote peace and social justice.
“We redeem lives and give them a second chance,” Administrator Bienvenido Benitez Jr. said during the signing ceremony.
The city mayor, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of education, capacity building, and the reintegration of offenders into the community.
“Everybody gets the chance that they deserve,” Congressman Benitez, for his part, added.
Mallorca expressed the commitment of the Victorias City Schools Division Office to delivering quality, accessible, and relevant education for all and shared that the DOJ-PPA has the support of the Schools Division Office for their programs.
Supervising TESDA Provincial Specialist Ernesto Duremdes presented several programs of TESDA, including various livelihood courses that parolees and probationers can avail of./PN
