Salesians of Don Bosco

The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy inspired the Pastoral Team to look into the possibility of allowing our Grade 11 students to interact with inmates as part of their Social Action Program. Further, Evangelii Gaudium urges us “to boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast” (24).

Having these in mind, we sought the help of the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service (PJPS) to assist us in bringing our Grade 11 students to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Medium Security Camp. They facilitated our entry, and partnered each of the seven sections of our Grade 11 with the seven educational sectors inside the Bilibid.

The night before our first visit, anxieties and fears lingered in my mind. I was uncertain of the experiences that we will encounter once we are inside. I had doubts if everything will turn out well. But I recalled that during the ocular visit, one of the noticeable image I saw inside was that of the Blessed Mother under the title of Mary Help of Christians. Her image stood at the park and the chapel was named after her. This thought drove away my anxieties. I knew that She would protect and guide us.

Each of the seven visits started with the routine of logbook and waiver signing, several inspections, body frisk, surrendering of IDs and stamping for males. From the inner gate where we waited for the last student to enter, our partner inmates were already lined up and waiting to escort us to their building.

I was so astounded with every visit. The inmates were so welcoming and caring. They prepared beautiful presentations, life testimonies, and heart breaking stories. Our Bosconians on the other hand, prepared some presentations too. Armed with excitement, they engaged on a one-on-one interaction with the inmates, eating, sharing and even crying or laughing together.

We ended every visit by attending Mass together. It was in the Eucharistic Celebration that we saw their love and reverence for God, their hunger to listen to the Word and be fed with the Bread of Life.

It wasn’t easy for me to hear them call themselves “basura ng lipunan,” to listen to their sad stories, to feel their groaning and longing to be visited and be with their families. For a mother like me, the most difficult part was seeing the young inmates. At that moment, I remembered Don Bosco accompanying Don Cafasso in his visits to the prison, and seeing the condition of the youth confined in these places thought to himself that these boys are not bad at all.  He too resolved to devote his life to the rescue of these unfortunate outcasts.

Another wonderful experience we had was to see them happy and contented even if life inside NBP was difficult. They continued to trust and have faith in God. Every visit ended with a rendition of their own composition entitled “Bilangguang walang rehas,” a song that speaks of the life of an inmate as compared to a free person. This presentation synthesizes our brief interaction with them and leaves everyone astonished. Because in reality whether inmates or free persons, the song says, “Tao’y bilanggo kung siya’y ganid sa yaman, sya ay bilanggo kung siya’y hayok sa laman, hindi siya malaya kung ang sarili ang lagging una…ang taong makasarili sariling bilanggo sya.”
Finally, I will never forget the times when we would say goodbye to them. How tears would roll down my cheeks. They were tears of joy for the wonderful encounter, yet tears of sadness because we can only do very little for them.  We may never be like Don Bosco who tirelessly worked for the outcasts. But our short visits and interaction with the inmates was our way of making them feel how much God loves them. The food that we shared with them and the simple gifts that we gave them was nothing compared to the lessons and the beautiful experience that they have shared with us. Truly, even the outcasts have a lot of lessons to teach us.
I could truly say that it was not by chance that we planned this program. It was through the intercession of Mary Help of Christians and St. John Bosco that made all these possible. Thank you, Mama Mary. Thank you Don Bosco for making us instruments of God’s loving mercy. We too were blessed to have encountered the inmates, for through them, we experienced Jesus, the face of God’s mercy.