Meeting with Australian Officers Opens Opportunity for Partnership

The introductory meeting of OIC Administrator Atty. Bienvenido O. Benitez, Jr., with First Secretary Political Simon Christopher Hayter together with Policy Officer Charles Woodward from the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, yielded a potential collaboration in the future. On June 8, 2023, before the short meeting ended, both parties were looking forward to capacity-building for probation officers. The training would focus on helping probation officers identify violent extremism tendencies in high-risk Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL). Atty. Benitez, Jr. was joined by ROIC Janette S. Padua, Special Assistant for External Affairs at the Parole and Probation Administration in Quezon City.

Other matters on the agenda of the meeting were the current ongoing projects of Australia that might interest PPA and the plans and priorities of the Agency.

Mr. Simon Hayter discussed several projects of Australia in the Philippines.

On the other hand, the OIC Administrator shared his priority agenda for the Agency. On top of his priorities are linkages with universities for the benefit of PDL, and modernizing the Agency. The modernization plan includes the restructuring of PPA and coming up with innovative programs. To effectively restructure PPA, the Agency needs hazard pay for all probation officers, more plantilla positions, enough suitable office space for personnel, and more halfway houses for clients’ rehabilitation. The OIC Administrator said there should be probation offices in every city and municipality in the country. For innovative programs, the Agency is finalizing the following treatment and intervention programs – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Classification and Risk Needs Assessment Tool (CARAT), Livelihood and Employment Program (LEAP), I CARE Program, and Hulagpos.

Before ending the meeting, Atty. Benitez, Jr. invited Mr. Hayter and Mr. Woodward for a short visit to Iwahig Penal Colony and a tour of the probation offices in MIMAROPA.