EIGHT persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at Cagayan de Oro City Jail graduated May 2 from the Katatagan, Kalusugan at Damayan ng Komunidad (KKDK) program, a rehabilitation course aimed at supporting the transformational well-being of drug-related offenders.
The course is available to inmates charged under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which involves the sale and use of illegal drugs.
According to City Jail community relations officer Jail Inspector Brit Aguillon, trained facilitators lead the 24-module course, which is designed to assist drug-dependent individuals.
“Kini nga course para mapababa nato ang probability nga mubalik sila sa ilang bisyo,” said Aguillon.
The course includes eight core modules focused on topics such as family, culture, and personal development.
One graduate's daughter, who requested not to be named, said she was thankful her father completed the KKDK course.
“Shy,” as she introduced herself, and her family attended the ceremony.
She emphasized the importance of supporting relatives who are incarcerated, saying there's no shame in believing in a person's capacity for change.
“Even though wala sya ka experience pag graduate sa high school, wala nakapaso sa stage, akong i-prove sa akong self nga ako ang mupaso nakatoga, kauban sya,” she said.
Aguillon said the program aims to help inmates become aware of the personal and familial impact of illegal drugs and is a required component before qualifying for a mode of release.
“Atong facilitators naa ni sila'y monitoring, maka graduate gyud and deserving mo graduate,” he said.
So far, Aguillon noted that there has been strong participation among inmates charged under RA 9165, with many willingly enrolling in the course.
