Fourth Session of “Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-asa” Honors Stories of Struggle and Sparks of Change

Carcel de Manila, July 8, 2025 — On the fourth day of the Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-asa reintegration program, the air inside the Carcel de Manila Multi-Purpose Hall—home to PRESO’s BANDILA Aftercare Program—was filled with stories that were raw, vulnerable, and real.

It was here, at the very heart of incarceration’s shadow, that released PDLs found themselves once again gathered—not behind bars, but before new beginnings. This particular session was graced by one of the country’s most sought-after criminology experts, Dr. Raymund E. Narag, who also serves as a consultant to PRESO, Inc.

But Dr. Narag did not come as a distant academic. He came as someone who had once walked in their shoes.

One by one, participants opened up about the darkest moments of their arrest, their struggle to survive incarceration, and the often-overlooked pain of reentering a world that barely remembers them. It was a space not of judgment, but of shared humanity. Dr. Narag, in turn, shared his own journey—from being behind bars to becoming one of the country’s foremost thinkers in justice reform. “Incarceration broke me,” he said, “but it also revealed my purpose. If we allow it, pain can be a bridge—not a barrier.”

This powerful session was followed by a workshop recap led by Derek Santos, PRESO’s Program Supervising Officer. Participants revisited their budding business ideas, originally crafted in the previous session, and began refining them with greater clarity and courage. Each concept—no matter how small—carried the weight of personal redemption and hope for family restoration.

“These are not just livelihood proposals,” said Santos. “They are dreams reborn—rooted in each participant’s story, skill, and sincere desire to start again.”

It was a day that reminded everyone: true rehabilitation cannot stop at release. It must be sustained by community, by opportunity, and above all, by compassion.