In celebration of the National Women’s Month and as part of the social preparation activity of the College of
Public Administration and Governance for the upcoming long-term extension project for the PDLs and BJMP
personnel, a seminar and workshop and an outreach activity were conducted on March 25, 2023, at BJMP BarasBaras, Tarlac City Female Dormitory.
Araw ni Juana: A Celebration of the National Women’s Month is a seminar and workshop with three topics for
Gender and Development, namely: Human rights, Stress Management, and Mental Health Management, which
aim to help the PDL cope with their stress, keep their mental health at bay, and remind them of their human
rights even behind bars.
Dr. Edwin T. Caoleng, formally opened the program with a message and an overview of the activity for the day as well as the upcoming outreach activity in April. Dr. Caoleng likewise introduced and explained what the requested seminar was for. Gender and Development, or GAD, is a participatory and empowering development perspective and process that is equitable, sustainable, free of violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self determination, and works toward actualizing human potential. March is also celebrated as "women's month" in the Philippines, which recognizes the achievements and struggles women still have to overcome in order to attain gender equality. It is a chance for people and organizations to come together and work to build a more equitable and just society for all. In line with this, the three aforementioned topics were chosen to be discussed by the TSU-CPAG faculty experts.
After his speech, the seminar and workshop have started with Ms. Izelle C. Francisco as the resource speaker for stress management. In her talk, Ms. Francisco emphasized the importance of dealing with stress according to its nature. She also stated that “a healthy body and a healthy mind add up to a happy life.”
TSU-CPAG faculty expert Dr. Alfred V. Rigor talks about human rights. In his presentation, he quoted, "Human rights are indivisible. Human rights are inherent to the dignity of every human-being,” not excluding women, and that everyone, regardless of their status, has the right to participate in and access information relating to decision-making processes that may affect their life and well-being. Dr. Rigor also emphasized the role of the college as well as the university in achieving GAD objectives and the policies and provisions that support and empower the program.
Lastly, the talk about mental health management was delivered by Dr. Roswald G. Fermin. He clarified the meaning of mental health and provided friendly suggestions and encouragement for the improvement of their mental health to make their life behind bars more bearable.
Various workshops were conducted, such as the stress test, where the participants identified what causes their stress and how stressed they are about it. Selected PDLs shared some of their stress with the group. In this workshop, faculty members gave advice on how to somewhat lessen their stress and manage it while still minding their mental health. Breathing exercises and butterfly hugs were also introduced to the PDLs as ways to keep themselves from overstressing a situation, and they were advised that stress is not to be taken lightly and talking to someone they can trust is a good practice for having good mental health. In addition, a Zumba session has been worked out in exchange for the supposed skills training for manicure and pedicure. The skills
training was announced to be conducted at a later date as the speakers and trainers had unforeseen circumstances.
Moreover, CPAG staff and students donated recreational materials for the PDLs to help them fight their boredom and an additional means to cope with their stress. Another highlight of the day was the
singing of the birthday song for one of the PDLs, who was coincidentally celebrating her birthday. It looks like someone's wish to be visited by their family will be granted.
The completed extension activity generally supports the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 5: Gender Equality, especially in light of promoting a peaceful and gender inclusive society, increasing awareness of mental health issues, and reminding the PDL of their human rights even behind bars.
