Students of the College Education Behind Bars, the sole educational institution in the country located inside the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in MA Davao City Jail . It was after all the first time they were pitted against each other in a basketball tournament that tested their skill in playing the favorite sport of Filipinos. Atty. Susan Cariaga, vice president of the Social Entrepreneurship Technology and Business Institute (SETBI), said this event is part of the mission of the school to develop not only the academic proficiency of students but to encourage them to be active in sports despite the inherent limitations inside jail, to keep their body and mind fit. With most of the students facing drug charges, Atty. Cariaga said this could also be part of their rehabilitation. She said that these students deserve and should be given another chance. Earlier that day, Nov. 23, the students, all 53 of them coming from BS in Communication Technology, BS in Agri Business, Grade 11 and Grade 12, were treated to a soothing massage by therapists of Vaya Wellness, a treatment facility that uses Pulsated Electro Magnetic Field (PEMF) as their massage protocol.Rajan Sujanani, founder of Vaya Wellness, in an interview with the media on Nov. 22, Friday, said that these students need to feel that they are not shunned because of a mistake they have done in the past and that they still have the chance to reverse their fate.“And you can see how we can transform them into more healthy people,” he said, as he invited the media to witness the event.“They need to feel good about themselves despite where they are now. We provide some kind of relief from the stress and tension hey are presently undergoing,”Sujanani said.
He also partnered with Kaizen, a homegrown restaurant, to provide 100 packs of rice bowl for students before the start of the tournament. Micah Vargas, representing Kaizen, said it has been their goal to give back to the people in the community and share the success of their business. She said this event dovetails perfectly well with their core values of love and respect. Sport is a best way to develop the inmates' spirit and their enthusiasm , enabling them to focus in a new dimension of life since most of them were charged with drug-related cases. First Students will play between colleges and the Champion will play with the BJMP personal basketball team. This event aims to promote the welfare of the inmates and foster better a healthy, and friendly environment relationship between inmates and the BJMP personal . SETBI encourage its students to promote sportsmanship between each in everyone of them and foster them with good values . Atty . Susan P. Cariaga welcomes the students for the said event. JINSP Edo Lobenia , City Jail spoke person, gave his inspirational message to the athletes.
