PALO, Leyte, Dec. 21 -- It will not be a lonely Christmas after all for the more than 600 inmates of Leyte’s provincial jail as a simple party had been set on Christmas Eve to make prisoners feel the holiday cheer even behind bars.
Although Christmas in prison is unthinkable in the real world, they have to celebrate the holiday to lighten the mood, let everyone relax, and even put their guard down, said Raul Jacosalem, 47, who has been detained at the provincial jail for 15 years over murder charges.
“There’s nothing more special than to spend Christmas with my family outside, but our party every December 24 helped us a lot to break the routine and monotony of life. Without this, Christmas Eve would be just another day on the calendar,” Jacosalem told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Everyone looks forward to December 24, when inmates can feast on traditional Filipino food, such as lechon (roasted pig), pansit (noodles), and soda. There is music and dancing until 5 p.m., but strictly no alcoholic drinks. Family members have been invited to attend the celebration at the covered court.
“Through our livelihood activities here, we’re able to raise money to buy decent food for everyone. Some generous prisoners’ families also donated cash for the simple celebration,” said 49-year-old Joseph Candila, who has been jailed for six years for a murder case.
Candila will celebrate his 50th birthday on December 25. It will be a quieter day inside the prison complex on Christmas Day as all Leyte provincial jail staff will go on holiday break. Only inmates and some guards on duty will be left inside the compound, which is surrounded by hills in upland Kausawagan village here.
Jacosalem and Candila’s Christmas wish is for faster resolution of their cases, serve their sentence, go home, and be with their families.
Leyte provincial jail warden Brendo Gamez said since prison life is boring, inmates need a little Christmas spirit and make the season more meaningful to them.
“Each of them will receive goodie bags filled with hygiene kit from the provincial government. On that day, we will also give recognition to the winners of our sports tournament,” said Gamez, a retired police superintendent and former town mayor.
“Christmas in prison isn’t like Christmas outside, but at the end of the day, it’s still Christmas and the effort is made to make inmates feel the holiday revelry even just for a few hours,” he added.
The jail, under the watch of the provincial government, has 624 inmates with all of them have pending cases before the regional trial courts. Once convicted, they will be transferred to the Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte. (SQM/PNA)
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