PLAYING WITH FIRE
Productive Inmates
By Gonzalo Duque
YOU should congratulate Mayor Al Fernandez.
The World Bank thru the Department of Health and allied organizations will conduct a two-year study of the sanitation in the city to keep our denizens free from ailments and diseases.
A private firm, Coffey International, headed by former DOH Secretary Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, is the chief implementing agency in collaboration with the Lyceum Northwestern University which shall zero in on research management work.
The city of Al Fernandez is only one of six cities chosen nationwide to avail of this WB bonanza which covers sewerage, gastro enteritis incidence, especially after floods, survey on parasites on children and sanitation issues.
The study’s findings will be collated after two years which shall form part of a national sanitation program, after which a local sanitation program will be established.
This novel project will provide us with a scientific data bank that’s most useful in tracking down the causes of diseases and in turn prevent their occurrence. We at LNU are proud to be a part of this novel scheme in keeping with our policy to be of service to mankind.
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Another good news for Dagupeños and Pangasinenses: Inmates at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Bonuan Gueset will cease to simply exist as plain inmates, prisoners, jailbirds, preso, convicts. Their human dignity is going to be restored.
How? The regional TESDA under its director Washington Agustin, the CHED under Commissioner Evelyn Pascua, and LNU Under Graduate Studies Dean Dr. Roma Fabregas Academic Affairs Dean Ermina Francisco and BJMP under Director Nisperos are joining efforts to lift the clouds of darkness from the lives of prisoners by providing them skills training to make them productive when they are released.
As for LNU, it’s parts of its ladderized education program. It’s another “first” at LNU, mind you, because of its commitment to humanity and making every individual in whatever station in life to be productive.
The program seeks to rehabilitate and eventually remove the stigma of the inmate’s prison life. By the way, other BJMP branches such as those in Urdaneta City and Lingayen town are participating in the program.
The project reminds us of the biblical teaching for us to take care of our brother when he is in distress. Statistics show that once an inmate is condemned by the public for his misfortune, we are pushing him to the limit of his faith in his fellowmen. This program will rehabilitate him and restore his dignity as a human being.
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The Philippine Medical Association of Georgia thru our sister Grace D. Dizon and her associates sent thru us a donation of $3,000 for the purchase of a sound system for the conference hall named after Dr. Francisco Duque and Mrs. Florencia Tiongson Duque of the Regional Medical Center.
Calling the attention of Councilor Jess Canto under whose initiative the conference hall was constructed, Director Roland Mejia, City Health officer Leonardo Carbonnel.
You will notice, dear readers that we have done away with the usual political brickbats. Reason is there is more to life than all that political crap. The nation is getting nauseated from too much politics. Our people deserve a better deal, don’t you think so? So out muna tayo sa pulitika ha? Ano ka nyo, I avoid na permanently? Kayo naman, type na type nyo ang pulitika e. You will have it probably next issue.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/ Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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