Five CIW PDLs Recognized at National Women’s Art Exhibit Organized by PWJA
Five (5) female Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) under the custody of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) were recognized for their artworks during “HER BRUSH, HER STORY: The Hues of a Woman,” an art exhibit held at the Manila Clock Tower Museum. The event showcased the talents of incarcerated women through visual art and was spearheaded by the Philippine Women Judges Association (PWJA).
The event was attended by officials and members of the PWJA, led by its President, HON. AMY C. LAZARO-JAVIER, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Also present were BuCor DIRECTOR GENERAL GREGORIO PIO P CATAPANG JR, AFP (Ret.), CESE, CCLH; CT/CSUPT MA CECILIA V VILLANUEVA, MD, CPro, Officer-in-Charge, Deputy Director General for Reformation, Director, Directorate for Health and Welfare Services; CT/CSUPT MARIA FE R MARQUEZ, MNSA, HEA, Office of the Director General; CT/SUPT MARJORIE ANN P SANIDAD, MD FIAMS, Acting Superintendent CIW; C/CINSP EUSEBIO B DEL ROSARIO JR., MPA, Deputy Director, Directorate for Reformation, Chief of the Work and Livelihood Division, and BuCor personnel.
The exhibit featured 35 artworks produced by 35 women PDLs from various BuCor prison facilities across the country. The five awardees—currently confined at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City—were recognized for their creative expression and thematic representation. Each of the awardees received grocery items and hygiene kits as part of their prize.
The exhibit highlighted the role of the arts in reformation and rehabilitation, providing a platform for PDLs to express their experiences, perspectives, and aspirations through painting. It was also an opportunity for the public and justice sector stakeholders to witness the outcomes of reformation programs inside correctional facilities.
It further emphasized the value of inter-agency collaboration in advancing restorative justice and highlighted how arts-based initiatives can support more constructive and meaningful reformation pathways for women PDLs.
