Nelson Morales

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Cafe CELDA

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762770756979IMG_1733.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Café CELDA"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Café CELDA</span></span></span></div><p>TABACO CITY — Sa lugar kun sain limitado an kalayaan, ang parong kan kape iyo an minadara nin dakulang pag-asa na nagpapagian sa kapungawan.</p><p>An Café CELDA na buot sabihon Community Engagement for Livelihood Development and After Care makukua sa laog kan Tabaco District Jail, Purok 3, Brgy. San Lorenzo, sa ciudad nin Tabaco. Sarong bagong lugar na nagtatao nin kusog asin paglaom sa mga persons deprived of liberty (PDL).</p><p>Kan Oktubre 23, binuksan an kapihan na ini kan Tabaco District Jail ang Café CELDA, sarong proyekto na hali sa pangiturugan tanganing suportahan an mga PDL sa paagi kan pagtao sainda ki kapasidad asin opurtunidad sa kabuhayan. </p><p>Sa paglaog mo sa edificiong ini, apuwera sa mahamot na parong kan kape, madadangog mo an karagting kan espresso machine, asin mahihiling an nakangirit na barista na sarong PDL.</p><p>Simple an konsepto kan kapehan alagad dakulang bagay an naitatao kaining benepisyo sa mga PDL. Bako sanang trabaho kundi an pagkakataon na magbago asin maging matanos na indibidwal.</p><p>“Naniniwala ako na karapatan kan lambang saro sato na magkaigwang saro pang pagkakataon,” segun kay Jail Chief Inspector (JCINSP) Ralph Vincent Bobis, acting warden sa Tabaco City District Jail.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Pagkamundag kan kapehan</strong></div><p>Enero 2024 kan nadestino sa Tabaco BJMP si JCINSP Bobis, asin naisip niyang tindugan na kapehan ang lugar na segun saiya, sarong “strategic area.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762770870198IMG_1754.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ralph Vincent Bobis, acting warden sa Tabaco City District Jail"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ralph Vincent Bobis, acting warden sa Tabaco City District Jail</span></span></span></div><p>“Harani sana kaya ang lugar na ini sa visiting area kaya naisip ko na magayon na ideya kung kakaganan mi digdi ki reception area,” sabi ni Bobis.</p><p>Segun pa kay Bobis, sa laog kan duwa may kabangang bulan, naitindog ang Café CELDA sa tabang kan walong PDLs. Gabos ini nakaresibe nin tabang pinansyal matapos ang konstruksyon kan kapehan.</p><p>Sa tabang kan pondo hale sa Bread of Love Bake Shop, jail commissary — sarong sari-sari store sa laog kan kulungan, asin sa Tabak Festival Fun Run, nakatipon an Tabaco District Jail nin poko y menos P350,000 hanggang P380,000. </p><p>An Bread of Love Bake Shop sarong livelihood program kag Tabaco District Jail para sa mga babaying PDL,  kun sain naggibo sinda nin mga pastries, tinapay, asin cakes na saindang pigtitinda sa laog kang edificio asin sa may trade fairs sa Ayala Malls, LCC, asin SM.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Pagbukas kan bagong pag-asa</strong></div><p>Bago buksan an Café CELDA, 22 na PDLS asin tulong personahe kan Tabaco BJMP an nagpasairarom sa seminar workshop asin training para sa pag-barista sa tabang kan TESDA. </p><p>Duwang PDLs an nakapasar sa training n aiyo an naging mga enot na barista sa Café CELDA.</p><p>Si Alias “Java,” saro sa mga nakapasar sa training an nawalat na barista sa kapehan matapos makalaya kan saiyang partner kan Oktubre 30. Bako na bago para kay Java an trabahong ini nin huli ta halos sarong dekada man ang binuno niya sa Saudi Arabia bilang barista bago siya nakulong.</p><p>“Dificil po. Halos aru-aldaw pirmi kong naiisip ang pamilya ko. Kaya dakulaon na tabang ang café na ini ta kumbaga nababawasan ang pungaw ko sainda asin ang depression ko habang nasa laog,” istorya ni Java.</p><p>Matibay si Java maggibo nin Spanish lattes, caramel macchiatos, asin frappes.</p><p>“Habang tiggibo ko po ini, dae lang po ako nag-eenjoy. Nakakatabang man po ini sako financially,” sabi niya.</p><p>Sa ngonyan, nagte-train naman siya nin duwa pang PDL nin huli ta enkaso man na makalaya siya, may mapalit saiya bilang barista sa kapehan.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Pag-asa sa tasa</strong></div><p>Sa ngonyan, an Café CELDA nasa proseso pa kan pagrehistro sa LGU. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762770914378IMG_5754.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Tabaco City District Jail"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Tabaco City District Jail</span></span></span></div><p>“Su gabos po na delensya hale digdi ay mapapaduman sa samuyang PDLs asin sa pagsustiner kan mga programa mi digdi,” sabi ni Bobis.</p><p>Sa presenteng ini, ang kapehan ay nagseserbi sa mga bisita kan mga PDL, mga pamilya, abogado, asin mga lokal na opisya na may mga katuyuhan sa Tabaco BJMP. Alagad may plano man sindang buksan ini sa publiko sa lalong madaling panahon. Igwa man sindang social media page na nag a-ako nin take out orders.</p><p>Segun kay Bobis, plano man nindang maghagad suporta sa mga ahensyas de govierno siring kan Bread of Love na dating tinabangan kan Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) matapos na matawan inin nin  ekipahe na nagkakantidad Php 900, 000 kan taong 2019.</p><p>Mawot niya man na bilang humanitarian endeavor, ining kapehan na ini pangarugan kan iba pang ahensya asin maging testamento na ang Tabaco District Jail seryoso sa rehabilitasyon.</p><div><br/></div><p>*****</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Café CELDA: A café of second chances</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:855px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762770959358IMG_1732.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Cafe CELDA"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Cafe CELDA</span></span></span></strong></div><p>TABACO CITY — In a place where freedom is limited, an aroma of hope fills the air, and redemption emerges—it brews second chances.</p><p>Tucked away in Zone 3, San Lorenzo, Tabaco City, Café Community Engagement for Livelihood Development and After Care (CELDA) stands a beacon of hope, dedicated to empowering Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL).</p><p>On October 23, Tabaco District Jail marked a milestone with the soft launching of Cafe CELDA, a flagship project under its rehabilitation and reintegration program, which aims to support PDLs through skills training and livelihood opportunities.</p><p>Stepping inside, the sound of espresso machines buzzing and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air and the friendly smiles of the baristas, all of whom are PDLs, can be seen.</p><p>The café&#x27;s concept is simple yet powerful. By employing PDLs as baristas, it gives an environment where PDLs can grow and develop as individuals.</p><p>“We believe that every person deserves a second chance,” says Jail Chief Inspector (JCINSP) Ralph Vincent Bobis, acting warden at Tabaco City District Jail. </p><div> </div><div><strong>How it all began</strong></div><p>In January 2024, then newly disignated warden JCINSP Bobis envisioned transforming a strategic area within the facility into a vibrant café.</p><p>“The visiting area is right next to it, and it overlooks the activities and facilities. I thought it was a good idea to create a reception area here,” he explained.</p><p>Initially intended as a welcoming space for stakeholders, paralegal officers, lawyers and local government officials visiting the facility, Café CELDA was built through the efforts of seven to eight PDLs over two an a half months. Those who worked on the project received financial assistance after construction.</p><p>With an initial budget of about P350,000 to P380,000, the project was funded through the Bread of Love Bake Shop, the jail commissary, a sari-sari store inside the jail, and proceeds from the Tabak Festival Fun Run.</p><p>The Bread of Love Bake Shop, a livelihood program for female PDLs, produces pastries, bread, and cakes sold inside the facility and during trade fairs at Ayala Malls, LCC, and SM. The Fun Run alone raised P113,000. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Brewing new beginnings</strong></div><p>To prepare for the café&#x27;s launch, 22 PDLs and three personnel underwent a three-day seminar workshop on barista training conducted by TESDA last August.</p><p>Two PDLs topped the training and became the café’s first baristas, after receiving medical certificates from the LGU allowing them to work in the café.</p><p>Alias “Java,” one of the trainees, is now the café’s main barista. His partner was released on probation last October 30, leaving him in charge. But Java is no amateur — he has nearly a decade of experience as a barista in Saudi Arabia before his incarceration.</p><p>“It was very difficult,” he said softly. “Every day, I had to think about my family. But this café has been a lifesaver. It helps reduce my depression.”</p><p>He specializes in creamy Spanish lattes, caramel macchiatos, and frappes. For him, making coffee is both livelihood and therapy.</p><p>“Doing this doesn’t just entertain me — it also helps me financially. It’s where I make ends meet,” he said.</p><p>Now, Java is paying it forward by training two new PDLs to take over once he is released. “If I am released, at least I’ll have someone to replace me,” he said.</p><div> </div><p>A café of hope</p><p>Café CELDA is still in the process of registering with the Local Government Unit (LGU), according to Bobis. For now, it operates under the jail commissary, with profits going to PDL beneficiaries and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) livelihood revolving fund.</p><p>“This means that whatever profit from our livelihood products, including the café, will benefit our PDLs and support the program’s sustainability,” Bobis explained.</p><p>The café currently serves jail visitors, including families of PDLs, lawyers, educators, and local officials. There are plans to open it to the public soon. </p><p>Bobis said the jail is seeking community support and partnerships with NGOs and LGUs to enhance their facilities. He cited previous assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which provided P900,000 worth of equipment to the Bread of Love Bake Shop in 2019.</p><p>For now, Café CELDA operates on a takeout basis, with orders placed through their Facebook page, Café CELDA.</p><p>Looking ahead, Bobis hopes that in three to five years, Café CELDA will become a brand symbolizing second chances and rehabilitation.</p><p>“Café CELDA is more than just a physical structure; it&#x27;s a gateway to opportunities for our PDLs. As we improve our marketing and facilities, we&#x27;ll attract more stakeholders and supporters,” he said.</p><p>He envisions the café as a humanitarian endeavor — a benchmark for other agencies and a testament to the Tabaco City District Jail’s commitment to rehabilitation.</p><p>“Every sip of coffee and every bite of bread or pastry helps in the revival and rejuvenation of our PDLs,” Bobis said. </p><p>Café CELDA is more than just a café — it’s a light shining from behind the walls of confinement, a tangible reminder that redemption can be brewed one cup at a time.</p>

<p>Sa lungsod ng Tabaco, nagsisilbing tanglaw ng pag-asa ang Café CELDA, na nakatuon sa pagbibigay-lakas at pagkakataon sa mga persons deprived of liberty (PDL).</p>

Sa lungsod ng Tabaco, nagsisilbing tanglaw ng pag-asa ang Café CELDA, na nakatuon sa pagbibigay-lakas at pagkakataon sa mga persons deprived of liberty (PDL).

Café CELDA: Kapihan nin paglaom

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Café CELDA: Kapihan nin paglaom

ABS-CBN News,

Aireen Perol

Published Nov 10, 2025 06:40 PM PHT

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