Provincial Administrator Raul Banias delivers a message during the opening program for the 16th National Correctional Consciousness Week held at the Provincial Capitol lobby this morning.
Provincial Administrator Raul N. Banias highlighted the importance of restorative justice system in the rehabilitation of offenders to become active members of the society once again.
Banias made the remark in behalf of Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. during the opening program of the 16th National Correctional Consciousness Week at the Provincial Capitol lobby today, Oct. 27.
“Punishment is no longer the call of the times but the establishment of a correctional mechanism that will involve rehabilitating offenders into becoming law-abiding citizens again, repairing the harm done to interpersonal relationships and the community, and healing the victims’ wounds,” Banias stressed.
Banias cited that the name “Iloilo Provincial Jail” was changed to “Iloilo Rehabilitation Center” in a move to rehabilitate the offenders and not to punish them.
“This process is called correction – making offenders recognize the harm they have caused, accept responsibility for their actions and be actively involved in improving the situation,” Banias explained, adding “in this way, offenders are not only making reparation to their victims, but also to themselves and to the community.”
“The goal of restorative justice therefore is to ‘restore’ the relationship, fix the damage that has been done and prevent further crimes from occurring,” Banias averred.
He also cited the support of the provincial government to the correctional mechanism with the move to transfer the management and operation of the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) in Brgy. Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Banias said moving IRC management under BJMP would benefit the close to a thousand inmates at the IRC.
He also stressed that upon the assumption of Governor Defensor one of his first directives was to increase the meal allowance of IRC inmates from P50 to P60 making it the highest in the entire country.
The governor also gave the food catering for IRC inmates to the provincial government employees cooperative with the assurance that the caterer would provide IRC inmates with food that are nutritious and good to eat.
Activities slated for today (Oct. 28) include the “Blood Olympics” at the Provincial Capitol starting 9 a.m. with various government agencies and socio-civic organizations as participants simultaneous with the holding of Ugnayan-Talakayan with Medical-Dental Mission at the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center in Brgy. Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo.
The celebration will be capped by the holding of Do-Day Kontra Dengue at Brgy. Veteran’s Village, Iloilo City tomorrow, Oct. 29 starting 8:30 a.m. (ECGarcia/ Capitol PIO)
BALITA HALIN SA KAPITOLYO 