PRESO, INC. MONTHLY ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 24 MAY - 27 JUNE
- Derek Santos
- Jul 26
- 6 min read
June marked saw a significant milestone for our organization as we formally unveiled our second flagship program we are calling the "Better Versions Initiative". This seeks to provide a framework for our post-release aftercare and reintegration strategies. The Better Versions Initiative is a direct offshoot of our Community Bail Bond Program. Both seek to provide pathways beyond prison walls for persons deprived of liberty.
COMMUNITY BAIL BOND PROGRAM
What has been done:
Five years into our Community Bail Bond Program we envision it expanding further beyond NCR. We continue to seek partnerships from other regions so that deserving PDL from the provinces can avail of temporary release from detention.
Our Program Field Officers continued with their regular activities that included conducting weekly monitoring/home visits of successfully released participants, providing guidance and updating the steps they are taking towards becoming productive members of their communities.
Twelve of our CBB Participants had scheduled hearings for the period covered. Four hearings pushed through while the other eleven were postponed/reset for various reasons.
As of June 27, there have been 525 individuals referred to our program coming from 24 city jail facilities, 2 provincial jail facilities, 17 police stations, 3 youth centers, 3 correctional facilities, and 3 national agencies. Of this number 267 had been interviewed. Of the interviewed, 153 had been successfully bailed out while another 55 had been released through other legal means.
More significantly, we have a total of 82 CBB Participants who have successfully graduated from the CBB Program. We consider participants as having successfully graduated from the Program after their cases have been closed, and at least another six months of monitoring have elapsed. Throughout this period, they must have shown to be responsible members of their community and can lead productive lives.
With their release, the government has now saved ₱ 5,399,800.00. This is computed by adding the amount budgeted per day (PhP70 for food) per PDL multiplied by the number of days since the day of the release from jail of every individual Participant. These savings will increase as days go by and as long as their cases are not terminated. For those whose cases are dismissed, served early or whose probation was approved, we expect a savings of least 60 days of non-incarceration.
Additionally, on top of the food savings by the government, these individuals are now back to the community and actively engaged in their livelihood- hence contributing to the economy. We minimized their exposure to the criminogenic jail environment leading to better reentry to the society as responsible members.
BETTER VERSIONS INITIATIVE
For many former detainees, freedom brings not relief, but a new kind of struggle—one defined by poverty, homelessness, stigma, and isolation. Without structured support, many fall through the cracks and tragically return to the very system they were freed from.
To address this, PRESO Inc. has developed the Better Versions Initiative — a holistic, phased approach to post-release reintegration that goes beyond charity. It is not just about setting people free, but helping them become better versions of themselves.
The Better Versions Initiative recognizes that the journey of a formerly incarcerated individual does not end at the prison gate. It unfolds in three critical stages:
Crisis and Survival – The immediate post-release period, when many have no home, no money, no food, and no support.
Transition – A period of adjustment marked by uncertainty, as former PDL begin to navigate freedom, reconnect with family, and attempt to access services.
Reintegration and Empowerment – The long-term goal of stable employment, restored dignity, and active citizenship.
To address each of these stages effectively, the Better Versions Initiative currently implements three pilot projects:
First Response
Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-asa
BANDILA.
Each one focuses on different aspects of the reintegration journey—but together, they form a powerful, holistic response.
FIRST RESPONSE: Immediate Care, Lasting Impact
First Response is the bridge between incarceration and freedom. It intervenes right at the moment of release—when a former detainee is most vulnerable. PRESO field workers provide transportation home, food and hygiene packages (“We Care” kits), and even accompany the individual to barangay officials to help build a welcoming support network.
In the days and weeks that follow, the project continues with home visits, basic counseling, help securing legal documents like birth certificates and IDs, and referrals to faith-based support groups. This project makes sure no one is left to fend for themselves the moment they step back into society.
By addressing both Crisis and Transition, First Response lays a critical foundation for long-term reintegration.
BUKAS LOOB TUNGO SA BAGONG PAG-ASA: Transforming Lives Over Six Months
“Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-asa” (“An Open Heart Toward New Hope”) is a six-month reintegration program designed to go deeper. It offers former PDL the tools to transform their lives in a sustainable and empowering way.
This program tackles the Transition and Empowerment stages head-on. What sets it apart is the personal, developmental focus: not just helping someone survive, but helping them thrive—with dignity, direction, and purpose.
By its conclusion, every participant is assessed and referred either to employment opportunities or provided the tools to launch a micro-enterprise. And crucially, they are monitored and supported for an additional six months to ensure lasting change.
BANDILA Aftercare Program: Raising a Banner of Hope
BANDILA (Bagong Buhay ng Dating Inalisan ng Laya) is a post-release aftercare initiative rooted in restorative justice and multi-sectoral collaboration. Launched in January 2025 in partnership with the Manila City Jail Male Dormitory and the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban, it offers a continuum of care that begins even before release.
BANDILA addresses all three stages of the Better Versions framework, from Crisis to Reintegration, and provides a replicable model of community-based reintegration rooted in dignity and sustainability.
OTHER PRESO, INC. ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH
We held a special PRESO, Inc. Board Meeting last May 29 to discuss future engagements with other possible partners for the expansion of the Community Bail Bond Program as well a fundraising initiatives for the organization.
The CBB team likewise had a face to face meeting last June 6 to discuss the program's thrust to go beyond NCR.
Our partners, Dr. Jean Rafanan and Bro. Emman Soabas of the Commission on Biblical Apostolate continued with their weekly virtual values formation sessions at selected BJMP Jails.
Last June 28, our CBB team led by our Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund Narag visited the Makati City Jail Male & Female Dormitories.
Last June 14 we participated in the General Assembly of Catholic Diocesan Prison Ministry Coordinators and Volunteers in Prison Service (VIPS) in the National Capital Region. Organized by the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC), the assembly aimed to develop a more coordinated, holistic, and responsive approach to prison ministry across NCR jails and correctional facilities. Ms. Tessie D. Gomez, Executive Secretary of PRESO, Inc., and Mr. Roderick Santos, Supervising Program Officer for the Community Bail Bond Program, served as key presenters during the session, sharing insights and best practices from PRESO’s community-based interventions.
Last June 23 the PRESO team met with representatives from the Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Law to explore a strategic partnership for the expansion of the Community Bail Bond (CBB) Program in Baguio City. The PRESO team, led by Executive Director Ms. Teresita Gomez, Chief Consultant Dr. Raymund E. Narag, and Field Officer Ms. Solita Baltazar, discussed the proposed implementation framework with SLU to support Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) in pretrial detention.
Following the meeting, the PRESO and SLU delegation, through the assistance of the Baguio Catholic Volunteers in Prison Service VIPS), paid a courtesy visit to the Baguio City Jail to formally present the CBB Program to jail officials.
Our Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund Narag once again returned to the country for several engagements primarily with the DOJ and PPA. Before his arrival however he was at the United Nations General Assembly to present his research on jail and prison settings in the Philippines.
With heavy hearts, we at PRESO, Inc. mourn the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Bro. Bong, who returned to his Creator last June 11.
Bro. Bong was a gentle presence and a fierce advocate for the forgotten and the marginalized. His quiet strength, deep compassion, and unwavering faith were a light to many—especially to the Persons Deprived of Liberty whom he served with such dignity and love.
We give thanks for the gift of his life, and we entrust him now to the embrace of our merciful God.
May his memory live on in the lives he touched, and may we continue the work he helped build—with the same heart he gave so freely.
As we forge ahead with our Community Bail Bond Program, we continue to learn and re-learn approaches and procedures. And this is a welcome experience for us. We envision that more PDLs and CICLs would be assisted soon with their liberties restored, their dignity regained and that their lives are eventually rebuilt. We as a community have a significant role in all these. In the long run, support for our prisons and prisoners as a whole would benefit all of society in terms of lower rates of recidivism and increased sense of public safety. GOD IS ON OUR SIDE!
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