MACALA’S LEGACY IN PHILIPPINE CORRECTIONS
By. Supt. Venjo Tesoro
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King
Any government agency achieves so much if there is less controversy hounding its performance. An agency is even blessed if there is nothing mentioned about it. It can go about its normal routine. Literally, in serving the people, the officers are never at the mercy of intrigue and always at peace in carrying out the mandate of its institution. This is not the case for the Philippine corrections.
Prison administration is always at the tail end of controversy. Its appointed leaders are at the masthead of anything but strife. Nothing great is usually mentioned about imprisonment and those formulating humane approaches except tales of horrendous proportions and derangement. A good program is suspect and at times seen as profligate and ostentatious. A bad program is always the banner of human rights activists. A good administrator is seen so tolerant, a bad one as cruel. There is no middle ground in prison service. It is either one is suspect while the other is fearsome.
A long list of prison administrators have come and gone. They assume and flirt around with history. Some are competent in their respective fields only to find themselves incapable in dealing with the incarcerated humanity. Some are seasoned administrators in their chosen profession only to find themselves emotionally drained and administratively disarmed in the highly deceptive atmosphere of the prison community. Majority felt that assault and danger defines corrections and any attempt in understanding, in playing a strict role, usually ends gaping up to be understood. Almost every prison administrator never attempted to be different, never played with tradition, never courted controversy the prison community wished them to be.
An exemption however was to be noted. A local government practitioner, honed in the viscicitudes of power, trained in the art of police work and politics, religious in outlook and pragmatic, came into view. Former police colonel, Lipa City vice mayor, Lucena City administrator and once a jail warden, Ricardo Macala was appointed Director of Corrections and the dawn of a new school of thought in corrections became a reality. His two year term is considered a fruitful attempt in redefining penology. He declared that the incarcerated humanity has a voice to be heard. He never talked about prisoners, he talked with them. He spent a great deal of time studying the prison society, taking down notes and with characteristics audacity, relayed his observation to all prison officers.
Macala tried promoting education for all prisoners not content with giving them token skills. He espoused the language of therapeutic treatment as if the program was his pioneering thought. His fastidious interest in meeting regularly prisoners gave a human face to prison administration. He loved prison service as if he was trained to embrace it from birth. Such admirable character never escape skeptics. All appointees to administer prison must only share the character of duplicity. There is no such thing as commitment to prison, considered the most dangerous sector of society. Honesty is a quality never revered even if shown in its crystal form.
WHEN the Career Executive Service Board (CESB), an agency mandated to assess the fitness of all government executives, gave a rating of Outstanding in the category of Innovativeness to Bureau of Corrections Director Ricardo B. Macala, it was a rating well-deserved. The assessment is conducted regularly on all Presidential appointees to check their overall performance based on the Career Executive Service Performance Evaluation System (CESPES). Macala got an overall rating of Very Satisfactory. The period covered was from March 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 and released last July 2, 2002.
In less then two years the Macala administration has achieved many “first” and set a record of reforms and accomplishments that is unmatched in the bureau’s history.
Consider the following:
COMPUTERIZATION: Director Macala considers this as a major accomplishment of his administration. The document Section, upon orders of Macala completed the computerization of all prison records of national prisoners. Prisoners were made aware of the time when they may become eligible for the grant of executive clemency (commutation of sentence or conditional pardon) or parole, and more importantly of the expiration of their maximum sentence. Copies of their record were given to the inmates.
The computerization of all prison records has led in the quick reconciliation of prison documents, which resulted in the hitherto unheard of phenomenon of releases exceeding admissions in 2001.
Computerization of prisoners’ visitors list has made it easy for prison security to easily identify authorized visitors.
IMPROVEMENT OF SECURITY: The installation of monitoring devices on major points of entry to the nine hectare maximum security compound as well as the maintenance of trained sniffing dogs to detect the presence of contrabands such as alcohol and drugs has greatly improved security arrangements and minimized the smuggling of prohibited items.
The improvement of security has also resulted in the decrease of escape incidents in Year 2002 despite an increase in prison population.
REHABILIATATION OF WATER SYSTEM: A 10 million pesos allocation from the President’s Contingency fund was made available to the Bureau of Corrections thru the representation of DOJ Secretary Hernando B. Perez and Executive Secretary Renato de Villa. This project solved the perennial problems on health and sanitation. Now, potable drinking water free of dust and sediments is available both to the inmates and employees of NBP.
IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD: To improve both the quality and quantity of food served to inmates, Director Macala created a Food Monitoring Committee headed by NBP Chaplain Fr. Roberto Olaguer with Msgr. Helley Barrido of the Philippine Independent Church as vice-chairman and with an inmate representative to check on the food served to inmates. Religious organizations like Caritas of Manila represented by Sister Zeny and even the International Committee of the Red Cross were pleased to note that the living condition and treatment offered to inmates were acceptable and adequate. They attest to the fact that foods being served to inmates are of the right quality and quantity since the menu are prepared by a dietician.
PRISON AGRO-INDUSTRY PROGRAM: The Bureau Work and Livelihood Programs is primarily aimed at the development of necessary skills and attitudes of prisoners toward labor and to provide inmates with meaningful and relevant work opportunities. At the NBP, the said program is open to more then 4,000 inmates employed in various agricultural and industrial projects. The existing projects under this program include: rice production, horticulture, forestry, nursery (ornamentals, fruit trees, forest of agro, dam and reforestation of idle land), piggery, cattle, goat, carabao, fishery (Tilapia culture), and beautification of NBP reservation.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY CENTERS: A modern approach in dealing with drug offenders is the Therapeutic Community modules. Employees, mostly psychologist are trained in this concept to assist in managing behavioral dysfunction in drug offenders.
FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM: The rehabilitation function of the Bureau is concretized through the implementation of various programs geared toward the development of man’s physical, intellectual and spiritual being. To achieve this end, BuCor provides the educational, religious, spiritual, sports/recreation and agro-industrial program for the inmates. Foremost among these endeavors is the Educational program, which is considered as the “bedrock of the rehabilitation efforts.”
The Non-Formal Education School is supervised by the Bureau of Non-Formal School of the Department of Education. Since 60% to 70% of the inmates in the bureau are either illiterates, Bucor made it compulsory for all illiterates to undergo non-formal schooling.
The formal education is offered from elementary to college level. The elementary course is given at the NBP Medium Security Compound thru the Itaas Elementary School Annex. The secondary (high school) course is offered thru the extension of the Muntinlupa National High School and the college level thru the University of Perpetual Help Extension School which was established in 1984 and it offers B.S. Commerce major in Small Entrepreneurship or Small Business Management.
HOLDING OF PRISONERS DAY: Every Friday immediately after lunch, Director Macala holds a dialogue with inmates to listen to their problems and establish a feed back mechanism. This motivation of Director Macala has proved to be very helpful in decision making especially in the area of improving the flight of inmates.
HOLDING OF THE MINI CONCERT OUTSIDE THE PRISON COMPOUND: This was a risky venture, never tried before, but Director Macala did not get an outstanding rating in innovativeness for nothing. He took a big risk to bring “Tanghalang Munti” composed of 33 inmates to the De La Salle Sentrum in Lipa City last December 14, 2002 where they staged a Musical Concert to a big and appreciative audience who gave the group a standing ovation.
Macala is the first BuCor director to enter the dormitory of affirmed death inmates-those whose execution dates have been set by the courts. Asked if he was not afraid that he might be held hostage, Director Macala answered “You know, these death convicts do not cease to be human beings just because they have been sentenced to die. Therre is more reason to reach out to them, to empathize with their plight. No, they will not harm a fellow human being trying to reach out to them.”
What started as a crusade in spirit, Macala went even further. He knew that the prison community is not founded merely as a dependent appendage of government service. It can provide national development with its raw manpower and vast resources. It can generate revenues like any other economic approaches. The prison community can surpass the view of self sufficiency to the level of economic contributor on a national scale. Prisoners will regain its place among the productive elements of society. He is starting to fashion out his concept when politics intervened. The relief of Macala from the prison service is not his loss but that of corrections. Such loss could not be felt had his program became the spring board for his successors but an understanding on the psychology of government service, such a fleeting moment of correctional advancement, became just that, a fleeting memory.
Suffice it to say that in the long struggle of Philippine corrections to achieve it place in the sun, there was a certain Macala who strove to be different and in the process, outlined the perfect path towards advancement in Philippine corrections. The thought is enough to project that in a way there is still hope in our criminal justice administration.
By. Supt. Venjo Tesoro
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King
Any government agency achieves so much if there is less controversy hounding its performance. An agency is even blessed if there is nothing mentioned about it. It can go about its normal routine. Literally, in serving the people, the officers are never at the mercy of intrigue and always at peace in carrying out the mandate of its institution. This is not the case for the Philippine corrections.
Prison administration is always at the tail end of controversy. Its appointed leaders are at the masthead of anything but strife. Nothing great is usually mentioned about imprisonment and those formulating humane approaches except tales of horrendous proportions and derangement. A good program is suspect and at times seen as profligate and ostentatious. A bad program is always the banner of human rights activists. A good administrator is seen so tolerant, a bad one as cruel. There is no middle ground in prison service. It is either one is suspect while the other is fearsome.
A long list of prison administrators have come and gone. They assume and flirt around with history. Some are competent in their respective fields only to find themselves incapable in dealing with the incarcerated humanity. Some are seasoned administrators in their chosen profession only to find themselves emotionally drained and administratively disarmed in the highly deceptive atmosphere of the prison community. Majority felt that assault and danger defines corrections and any attempt in understanding, in playing a strict role, usually ends gaping up to be understood. Almost every prison administrator never attempted to be different, never played with tradition, never courted controversy the prison community wished them to be.
An exemption however was to be noted. A local government practitioner, honed in the viscicitudes of power, trained in the art of police work and politics, religious in outlook and pragmatic, came into view. Former police colonel, Lipa City vice mayor, Lucena City administrator and once a jail warden, Ricardo Macala was appointed Director of Corrections and the dawn of a new school of thought in corrections became a reality. His two year term is considered a fruitful attempt in redefining penology. He declared that the incarcerated humanity has a voice to be heard. He never talked about prisoners, he talked with them. He spent a great deal of time studying the prison society, taking down notes and with characteristics audacity, relayed his observation to all prison officers.
Macala tried promoting education for all prisoners not content with giving them token skills. He espoused the language of therapeutic treatment as if the program was his pioneering thought. His fastidious interest in meeting regularly prisoners gave a human face to prison administration. He loved prison service as if he was trained to embrace it from birth. Such admirable character never escape skeptics. All appointees to administer prison must only share the character of duplicity. There is no such thing as commitment to prison, considered the most dangerous sector of society. Honesty is a quality never revered even if shown in its crystal form.
WHEN the Career Executive Service Board (CESB), an agency mandated to assess the fitness of all government executives, gave a rating of Outstanding in the category of Innovativeness to Bureau of Corrections Director Ricardo B. Macala, it was a rating well-deserved. The assessment is conducted regularly on all Presidential appointees to check their overall performance based on the Career Executive Service Performance Evaluation System (CESPES). Macala got an overall rating of Very Satisfactory. The period covered was from March 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 and released last July 2, 2002.
In less then two years the Macala administration has achieved many “first” and set a record of reforms and accomplishments that is unmatched in the bureau’s history.
Consider the following:
COMPUTERIZATION: Director Macala considers this as a major accomplishment of his administration. The document Section, upon orders of Macala completed the computerization of all prison records of national prisoners. Prisoners were made aware of the time when they may become eligible for the grant of executive clemency (commutation of sentence or conditional pardon) or parole, and more importantly of the expiration of their maximum sentence. Copies of their record were given to the inmates.
The computerization of all prison records has led in the quick reconciliation of prison documents, which resulted in the hitherto unheard of phenomenon of releases exceeding admissions in 2001.
Computerization of prisoners’ visitors list has made it easy for prison security to easily identify authorized visitors.
IMPROVEMENT OF SECURITY: The installation of monitoring devices on major points of entry to the nine hectare maximum security compound as well as the maintenance of trained sniffing dogs to detect the presence of contrabands such as alcohol and drugs has greatly improved security arrangements and minimized the smuggling of prohibited items.
The improvement of security has also resulted in the decrease of escape incidents in Year 2002 despite an increase in prison population.
REHABILIATATION OF WATER SYSTEM: A 10 million pesos allocation from the President’s Contingency fund was made available to the Bureau of Corrections thru the representation of DOJ Secretary Hernando B. Perez and Executive Secretary Renato de Villa. This project solved the perennial problems on health and sanitation. Now, potable drinking water free of dust and sediments is available both to the inmates and employees of NBP.
IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD: To improve both the quality and quantity of food served to inmates, Director Macala created a Food Monitoring Committee headed by NBP Chaplain Fr. Roberto Olaguer with Msgr. Helley Barrido of the Philippine Independent Church as vice-chairman and with an inmate representative to check on the food served to inmates. Religious organizations like Caritas of Manila represented by Sister Zeny and even the International Committee of the Red Cross were pleased to note that the living condition and treatment offered to inmates were acceptable and adequate. They attest to the fact that foods being served to inmates are of the right quality and quantity since the menu are prepared by a dietician.
PRISON AGRO-INDUSTRY PROGRAM: The Bureau Work and Livelihood Programs is primarily aimed at the development of necessary skills and attitudes of prisoners toward labor and to provide inmates with meaningful and relevant work opportunities. At the NBP, the said program is open to more then 4,000 inmates employed in various agricultural and industrial projects. The existing projects under this program include: rice production, horticulture, forestry, nursery (ornamentals, fruit trees, forest of agro, dam and reforestation of idle land), piggery, cattle, goat, carabao, fishery (Tilapia culture), and beautification of NBP reservation.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY CENTERS: A modern approach in dealing with drug offenders is the Therapeutic Community modules. Employees, mostly psychologist are trained in this concept to assist in managing behavioral dysfunction in drug offenders.
FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM: The rehabilitation function of the Bureau is concretized through the implementation of various programs geared toward the development of man’s physical, intellectual and spiritual being. To achieve this end, BuCor provides the educational, religious, spiritual, sports/recreation and agro-industrial program for the inmates. Foremost among these endeavors is the Educational program, which is considered as the “bedrock of the rehabilitation efforts.”
The Non-Formal Education School is supervised by the Bureau of Non-Formal School of the Department of Education. Since 60% to 70% of the inmates in the bureau are either illiterates, Bucor made it compulsory for all illiterates to undergo non-formal schooling.
The formal education is offered from elementary to college level. The elementary course is given at the NBP Medium Security Compound thru the Itaas Elementary School Annex. The secondary (high school) course is offered thru the extension of the Muntinlupa National High School and the college level thru the University of Perpetual Help Extension School which was established in 1984 and it offers B.S. Commerce major in Small Entrepreneurship or Small Business Management.
HOLDING OF PRISONERS DAY: Every Friday immediately after lunch, Director Macala holds a dialogue with inmates to listen to their problems and establish a feed back mechanism. This motivation of Director Macala has proved to be very helpful in decision making especially in the area of improving the flight of inmates.
HOLDING OF THE MINI CONCERT OUTSIDE THE PRISON COMPOUND: This was a risky venture, never tried before, but Director Macala did not get an outstanding rating in innovativeness for nothing. He took a big risk to bring “Tanghalang Munti” composed of 33 inmates to the De La Salle Sentrum in Lipa City last December 14, 2002 where they staged a Musical Concert to a big and appreciative audience who gave the group a standing ovation.
Macala is the first BuCor director to enter the dormitory of affirmed death inmates-those whose execution dates have been set by the courts. Asked if he was not afraid that he might be held hostage, Director Macala answered “You know, these death convicts do not cease to be human beings just because they have been sentenced to die. Therre is more reason to reach out to them, to empathize with their plight. No, they will not harm a fellow human being trying to reach out to them.”
What started as a crusade in spirit, Macala went even further. He knew that the prison community is not founded merely as a dependent appendage of government service. It can provide national development with its raw manpower and vast resources. It can generate revenues like any other economic approaches. The prison community can surpass the view of self sufficiency to the level of economic contributor on a national scale. Prisoners will regain its place among the productive elements of society. He is starting to fashion out his concept when politics intervened. The relief of Macala from the prison service is not his loss but that of corrections. Such loss could not be felt had his program became the spring board for his successors but an understanding on the psychology of government service, such a fleeting moment of correctional advancement, became just that, a fleeting memory.
Suffice it to say that in the long struggle of Philippine corrections to achieve it place in the sun, there was a certain Macala who strove to be different and in the process, outlined the perfect path towards advancement in Philippine corrections. The thought is enough to project that in a way there is still hope in our criminal justice administration.
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