All the confiscated contrabands were recycled by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) into artworks that were showcased inside the National Bilibid Prison Administration Building in Muntinlupa City.
Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr., who led other Bucor officials in opening the venue to the public, disclosed that in 2022, upon his assumption into office, they were able to confiscate more than six thousand contrabands from PDLs during various greyhound operations and these included bladed weapons, knives, homemade sharpen objects, and the likes, which they brought to Pete Jimenez studio, a visual artist with a substantial body of work in the field of sculpture.
The said pieces of metal that symbolize violence were turned into something beautiful and very significant today which conveys the message "farms, not arms."
Catapang said that this will serve as a reminder to PDLs and the public of the changes that are now happening not only in the NBP but also in other colonies under the bureau's supervision.
Jimenez explained that what he did to the confiscated improvised bladed weapons is called "art installation", which is site-specific.
It will also send a strong message of instead of making arms why not farm in support of the government's food security program.
This art installation is the first in the history of Philippine Art and it is housed at the BuCor showcased at the 118th Founding Anniversary of the bureau, Jimenez said.
The Rotary Club of Quiapo Plaza Miranda, in partnership with the BuCor, will undertake a social reform program that aims to provide vital rehabilitation and reformation services to qualified and deserving PDLs at the New Bilibid Prison.
Dubbed "Creating Hope in the New Bilibid Prison via Project Laya and Hope Creating Gallery," the project adopts a holistic approach to identify qualified PDLs who have shown a genuine desire to better themselves and provide them with an opportunity to develop a skill set that can be an asset to society.
Atty. Armand Galang, president of the Rotary Club, currently said one key group that the program assists is the Kulayan Artists of the NBP. The Kulayan Artists are PDLs who have shown a true desire to reform themselves and show their talents in creative arts.
Once the PDLs have served their sentence, the program will provide them vital assistance to allow these PDLs to integrate into the community, and instead of harming or being a burden on society, these PDLs can create beautiful works of art.