Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday vowed to provide education and livelihood opportunities to inmates in a bid to give them a “second chance.”
If elected mayor this May, Belmonte said she would adopt the model instituted for female inmates in Davao City, to uplift the morale and encourage inmates to change their ways.
“I personally witnessed here in Davao that services are being provided to teach inmates new livelihood skills and to encourage them to be productive. I want to bring this kind of opportunities in our city,” she said.
“I’m very inspired to see that in a correctional facility, we can still offer opportunities to our people like education, livelihood programs, physical activities and such. That way, we can see that they want to change for themselves and for their families,” Belmonte added.
Detainees still have the chance to become better persons, she noted.
The vice mayor is the head of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council.