Twenty-five persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Isulan District Jail in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat received their wages after temporary employment under the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program.

Each beneficiary delivered 20 days of facility rehabilitation work, including the construction of a Gender and Development Area, CCTV Command Center, Bravo Post, and a Gulayan sa Piitan (vegetable garden).

They received a total of P215,000.00, with each receiving P8,600.00.

DOLE Regional Office 12 Assistant Regional Director Fatima Quorayce Bataga underscored that programs like TUPAD offer hope and renewed purpose for PDLs as they prepare for life after incarceration.

“The DOLE and other government agencies are here to help. TUPAD is just one way for them to pursue their dreams, especially if one day they will go out of the facility,” Bataga said.

Officer-in-Charge District Jail Warden JSINSP Darius Tenchavez also welcomed the project, praising its dual benefit of not only providing dignified opportunities for detainees but also enhancing the jail’s living conditions.