ILOILO City – Women have space not only in the household but even in male-dominated spheres.
Take the case of two female officers of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Working in a prison facility is fraught with risks, according to Mary Chanette Espartero, warden of the BJMP-Male Dormitory in Barangay Ungka, Jaro district here.
“But in our hearts and minds we want to help these offenders return to their normal lives,” said Espartero, a registered nurse who has found fulfillment not only in attending to the sick but also in guiding persons deprived of liberty. “We believe there is a bright future waiting for them and their family,” Espartero told Panay News. “We are here to help them, guide them along the process of transformation.”
Espartero, who hails from New Lucena, Iloilo, admitted there had been pressure on the road but this was “only common.”
“With the rigorous training in the BJMP, we, personnel were well-equipped with skills. We underwent various career trainings to manage facilities and deal with stress and pressure,” she said.
Espartero also recalled one of her most challenging experiences in the BJMP.
“I was assigned in North Cotabato, first assignment,” she shared. “It was one of the riskiest BJMP facilities in the country. I encountered alleged leftists there… members of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters), and members of organized crime groups.”
She learned to work with “grace under pressure.”
On the other hand, it was her “dauntless heart” that pushed her towards joining the BJMP, said Marie Charyll Jamolo, chief of the BJMP Regional Office 6-Health Service Division.
A medical doctor and jail officer rolled into one, Jamolo never loses sight of her ultimate goal: “uplifting the quality of life of the people I am serving.”
“I am happy to take up my space,” Jamolo said. “Ang espasyo nga akon nalab-ot, luyag ko nga maka-inspire sa pareho ko nga mga babaye nga makaya gid nila maskin ano ang gusto nila malab-ot kag ginahandom sa kabuhi.”
Pressure comes parallel with her position and responsibility but “when I see their warm smiles and hear their thank yous, these are more than enough to keep me going.”
Espartero and Jamolo, women in a male-dominate field, are inspirations to other women./PN
