To make the stay of detention prisoners productive, the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center, in cooperation with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, implemented a skills training program to make them busy while waiting for the outcome of their cases.

Fifty inmates have completed the 18-day skills training program for bread and pastry production, the assessment and evaluation of which was conducted Tuesday.

Evaluator Edwin Sansilan rated the competency of inmates after the exam and found all of them knowledgeable already of the craft.

He said he was earlier toying with the idea if the provincial government can provide them with the necessary equipment and ingredients for baking so inmates can earn while under detention.

The Dumaguete Christian Technical School Inc., which is the service provider, is now in the process of submitting the list of the graduates to Tesda for the possible issuance of NC-2 certification.

Provincial warden Franklin Culanag said the skills the inmates have acquired while under detention would be very useful as source of income when they go back to mainstream society.

Culanag will request for another set of trainees for metal welding NC-2 for funding by Tesda in line with his request for a catwalk around the perimeter of the provincial jail.

He said inmates, who would be enrolled in the program, would do the actual welding for the proposed project to save on labor cost.

Culanag thanked the support of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo for allowing the inmates to do livelihood activities and develop skills inside the jail while being detained.*JG/PNA