Jail holds ‘Electronic Dalaw’ amid quarantine

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Metro Bacolod District Jail (MBDJ)-female dormitory in Barangay Handumanan here conducted “Electronic Dalaw” for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) or inmates amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Jail Inspector Ma. Lorelie Dimaculangan, MBDJ warden, said the E-Dalaw started on March 20 when visitors were prohibited to visit PDLs due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Dimaculangan said that the E-Dalaw is one of their programs for welfare development for PDLs to virtually communicate with their loved ones on special cases.

It is being held every 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Weekends are considered rest days for the PDLs, she added.

“In times like this, we allowed them to use the E-Dalaw to also see their loved ones who have access on social media,” she said.

It is being done with close supervision of a jail officer, Dimaculangan said.

She said that this is a way to ease the longing of PDLs for their loved ones who cannot visit them at the moment because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Each PDL is given five to 10 minutes to talk to their family member or relative, she said.

At present, the jail has a total of 216 PDLs.