PRESO, INC. MONTHLY ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT 28 JUN - 01 AUG

Our Community Bail Bond Program and Better Versions Initiative achieved further gains this July, building on the groundwork that we established in previous months. We are encouraged by the growing awareness of the need to provide pathways beyond prison walls for persons deprived of liberty.

COMMUNITY BAIL BOND PROGRAM

What has been done:

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.

Eight of our CBB Participants had scheduled hearings for the period covered. Five hearings pushed through while the other three were postponed/reset for various reasons.

As of August 1, there have been 527 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 269 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 ₱ 5,585,710.00. 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

At a time when the challenge of reintegration remains one of the most pressing yet underserved needs in the justice system, PRESO, Inc. stepped forward with a groundbreaking initiative dubbed the Better Versions Initiatives as we walk alongside Persons Restored of Liberty (PRLs) as they rebuild their lives with dignity, purpose, and hope.

Accomplishments for the month included the successful conduct of the remaining two sessions under the "Bukas Loob Tungo sa Bagong Pag-Asa" Reintegration project. Sessions 4 & 5 built upon the previous month's sessions, culminating in a celebration of courage, community, and possibility.

Across the five sessions, participants gained not only technical skills in finance and entrepreneurship, but also a renewed sense of identity, dignity, and belonging. The program’s success lay in its blend of practical training, personal formation, and consistent mentoring—an approach PRESO hopes to replicate with future batches, in partnership with organizations equally committed to second chances.

Another significant step toward restoring dignity and rebuilding lives, our BANDILA Aftercare Program was officially formalized last July 17, 2025, through a ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology National Capital Region (BJMPRO-NCR), the Prisoners Enhancement and Support Organization, Inc. (PRESO, Inc.), and the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban.

The program has assisted 5 released PDL and provided formation, counseling and financial literacy interventions for 405 pre-release PDL.

OTHER PRESO, INC. ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH

PRESO, Inc. proudly took part in the 11th Pantalastasan: An International Academic Seminar held on July 9, 2025, at the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. With the theme "Justice for All: Rationalizing the Philippine Criminal Justice and Correctional Systems," the event gathered key voices from the academe, law enforcement, and civil society to critically examine the state of the country’s justice system and propose practical reforms.

PRESO’s Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund E. Narag’s keynote lecture shed light on the persistent issues of jail overcrowding, inefficiencies in custodial procedures, and the urgent need for correctional reform—all themes central to PRESO, Inc.’s advocacy for restorative justice and human dignity for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). Among the event’s key moments was the participation of Philippine National Police Chief, Police General Nicolas D. Torre III, who served as Guest Reactor.

Last July 21, our Program Field Officers took part in the Manila City Jail Male Dormitory's launching of the Carcel Sisenta dormitory that shall house elderly PDL.

We held meetings with Ateneo de Naga regarding the adoption of the CBB Program and with CIVY on their upcoming "Irreplaceable" Seminar on July 18 and 24 respectively.

We likewise had a meeting with JCI Manila last July 25 regarding their support for our Better Versions Initiatives.

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.

Our Chief Consultant, Dr. Raymund Narag continued with several engagements while in the country.

As we forge ahead with our programs and initiatives, 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!