05/08/2026
Mindanao’s First FREEDOM Program Ordinance Now Approved: Iligan City Adopts Bold Reintegration Program for Released PDLs
Iligan City — The FREEDOM Program Ordinance has officially been passed by the City Council after its Second and Third Reading on August 4, 2026, making it a duly enacted City Ordinance. This landmark measure cements Iligan City’s commitment to a transformative reintegration program for released Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
Built on seven pillars—Formation, Reintegration, Entrepreneurship, Employment, Discipline, Opportunities, and Mentorship—the FREEDOM Program envisions a holistic pathway where livelihood support is inseparable from values formation, discipline, and community acceptance.
With a proposed initial annual budget of ₱1.34 million, the ordinance provides starter livelihood kits, seed capital, structured mentorship, and continuous monitoring. Its objectives are clear: equip beneficiaries with marketable skills, strengthen moral recovery, reduce recidivism, and promote productive citizenship. Aside from being a livelihood scheme, the FREEDOM Program is designed as a second chance at life, ensuring that released PDLs re-enter society with dignity, responsibility, and purpose.
The newly-passed ordinance was sponsored by City Councilor Randy Ryan Ong, chair of the Committee on Moral Recovery Program.
The Iligan City Jail–Male Dormitory has long been active in welfare and development programs for its PDLs, including literacy initiatives, livelihood workshops, and values formation sessions. In partnership with Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), the jail has also introduced academic and technical training modules, laying the groundwork for the FREEDOM Program’s objectives.
Warden JCINSP Carmelo A. Corsame underscored the ordinance’s noble vision: “The FREEDOM Program is a true bridge back to society. By combining skills training with values formation inside the facility, we prepare PDLs even before their release so they are ready to take on seed capital and livelihood support. This way, former PDLs are equipped not only to earn a living but to rebuild their lives with dignity, discipline, and responsibility.”
He further appealed for broad support: “We call on the public to embrace this ordinance. Every released PDL deserves a true second chance at life, and the FREEDOM Program is the pathway to turn stigma into acceptance, and vulnerability into productivity.”
With its formal passage into law, the FREEDOM Program Ordinance now stands as Iligan City’s flagship reintegration initiative—redefining custodial rehabilitation as a journey of hope, discipline, and transformation.