Davao prison volunteers attend CBCP VIPS National Assembly

Four Dabawenyos were among the 220 nationwide delegates who attended the week-long 11th General Assembly of Jail/Prison Chaplains and Volunteers in Prison Service (VIPS) in Bacacay, Albay from February 25 to March 1.

The participants from Davao were grateful to meet and share with other jail volunteers from Mindanao, and jail chaplains especially JSUPT/Fr. Aldrin Alaan, the Bureau of Jail Manangement and Penology (BJMP) Chaplain for Regions 10, 11, 12 and Caraga.

During the assembly, seasoned and longtime volunteers offered inspiring testimonies of sharing time, treasure, and talent with our brothers and sisters behind bars even after they are released. Families of jail inmates who were in difficulty are also being helped. The Davao prison volunteers who attended the national assembly serve in the Davao City Main Jail, which houses 3,000 men.

Inspired by Jesus’s words, “…when I was in prison you visited me.” (Mt. 25:34), these volunteers visit the jail regularly, helping coordinate the Sunday Masses and other spiritual activities. They also facilitate donations by kind-hearted benefactors especially of toiletries — even small donations will make a big difference to indigent inmates.

The CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) holds this national conference only every three years. The theme of the conference was “Workers for Prison Ministry: Beloved, Gifted, Empowered Servant Leaders for the New Evangelization.” (Nina Ingle)