Written by Joy Louise T. Evidente/THE RED CHRONICLES
Layout by Luis Marco Mendoza/THE RED CHRONICLES
(Photo Courtesy/SBCA Legal Aid Center)
“Our community should realize that change and impact are only attainable if we start somewhere.”
—Franz Danielle F. Dela Cruz, Internal Vice President, Legal Aid Center, SBCA
At the Parañaque City Jail, two hundred sixteen (216) Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) lived their day-to-day lives without any family or friends visiting them. Only initially intending to provide basic sanitary kits, when this fact was made known to the Legal Aid Center – SBCA (LAC) Internal Vice President Franz Danielle F. Dela Cruz, she knew that LAC had the platform to help our PDL brothers and sisters.
With the encouragement of Father Gerard De Villa and Doctor Namoc of ICIC, the organization set to work, granting the request for sanitary kits and basic grocery packages. When asked how the recipients were chosen, Dela Cruz stated that their focus as a student-run legal firm was that all their volunteers and donors were from the South, and that because they provided legal service within these areas, the Parañaque City Jail was the perfect recipient for the program.
Seeing how hard it was to be in a city jail and the scarcity of resources to the point of not meeting basic necessities, Dela Cruz discussed that the program was inspired by the Lingkod Laya organization in San Beda University, Mendiola, and borne from the LAC’s Executive Committee’s decision to use their platform to give a ‘different kind of impact’ beyond catering to activities that are mostly centered on legal service, as the incumbent officers felt that there was more to legal aid.
Within only a week or so, LAC was able to raise the money for everything they needed. In total, the organization was able to donate 650 kilos of rice, 2,592 sachets of toothpaste, 2,592 sachets of shampoo, 650 toothbrushes, 432 face towels, 432 bars of soap, 432 packs of sanitary napkins, 2,160 sachets of coffee, 2,160 biscuits, 1,296 packs of noodles, 230 rice meal sets, 250 eco bags, and 250 sanitary pouches.
Last December 29, 2023, after the volunteers and officers had packed up the sanitary kits and grocery packs, the LAC met at 7 a.m. to brief and load all their bundles into a shuttle service provided by the ICIC. When they arrived at the city jail, they met with Jail Officer Saingan for a quick briefing with the help of other jailers and PDLs. At the entrance, they were mandatorily frisked before they proceeded to the basketball court to set everything up.
Due to the limited space and chairs within the jail, the program accompanying the donation drive had to be run twice. They began with a prayer and opening remarks, followed by parlor games and lunch. Ending both programs with the distribution of the bundles.
A memorable moment for Dela Cruz was when they were playing parlor games and interacting with the PDLs, as it showed her and their group the happiness of the PDLs in that moment.
“If only people outside could see their laughter, their smiles, and their candid moments, they would understand the worth of their donations and the hard work to make this happen. It was really heartwarming to see how they appreciated the bundles prepared.”
The gratitude expressed by the PDLs was priceless, just as the LAC is grateful for those who supported the drive and gave donations.
Dela Cruz stated that they hoped the “Bedan community would realize how their contributions, even the tiniest of them, could spark a big change to other people’s lives. I hope we all realize that we have the platform to advocate for something that we are passionate about.”
2023 may have ended, but the LAC plans to collaborate with the SLG and the council of organizations for another program to cater to PDLs within this semester, and this year-end program will be continued annually as part of the LAC legacy.
As a final message to the SOL students, Dela Cruz asked that the students continue to support their advocacy as the student-run law firm of the school and thanked the students for trusting the LAC and supporting their cause, ending the interview with “Lex. Actum. Caritas.”