Parole and probation office holds trade fair

The Parole and Probation Administration-7 is celebrating its 29th anniversary by holding a trade fair which showcases goods for sale made by its clients.

The weeklong celebration kicked off last Monday with a thanksgiving Mass at the 2nd floor of the Hall of Justice Building. One of the activities lined up for the occasion was the sale of products such as peanut butter, dried fish, and handicrafts made by probationers, parolees and pardoners from different parole and probation offices in the entire region.

PPA-7 Regional officer in charge Ofelia Quijano said part of the rehabilitation of their clients is the skills training preparing them so that they could have their own means to earn income.

"We are helping them how to make themselves productive and law-abiding," Quijano said adding that most of their clients are without income. She said some of them, especially those in the remote areas, cannot even afford to go to their respective parole offices for lack of money. Quijano said they go to their clients' homes to routinely check them.

PPA-7 is currently supervising 3,625 active probationers and 1,576 parolees/pardoners.

Former PPA administrator Gregorio Bacolod said they have an agreement with the National Bureau of Investigation to issue clearance to their clients with No-Pending-Case stamp on it. Bacolod explained that with this agreement, those convicted for crimes still have the chance to look for jobs without facing prejudice from the community.

"Bahala'g no-read no-write basta respectable," Bacolod said in reference to the PPA's mission for its clients: rehabilitating them at the same time making them respectable to the community.

Bacolod added that as of 2004 there were more than 15,000 clients who became Overseas Filipino Workers. Some of them who are still active probationers or parolees would mail or call the parole offices in compliance to their program. Those who fail to report will be sanctioned.

Although there are many applicants for probation, paroles, and pardons, only few are given the chance to enjoy it as "it is a privilege not a right," said Bacolod citing that they are very careful in approving applications.

Only a few parolees, seen to be a threat to peace and order, had their approvals revoked once they were seen a threat to peace and order, he said. - Liv G. Campo