9 months behind bars: iKalinga mother finally reunites with her children

'Tatta nga rumwar ak, sobra nga ragsak ko karkaru ta makadwakon dagiti annak ko,' — 38-yr-old PDL from Tabuk

FEATURE

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — After nine months behind the walls of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Kalinga District Jail, a 38-year-old woman from Tabuk City was preparing to return home—not simply as a person who had completed part of a sentence, but as a mother finally reunited with the children she had spent months longing to see.

At the time of her interview with Guru Press Cordillera on August 12, 2026, she was scheduled to be released that same day, marking the beginning of a new chapter she hopes will bring her closer to her family and allow her to rebuild her life.

The mother, whose identity was withheld, said she had been sentenced to one year and eight months but spent only nine months in detention after her good conduct and behavior contributed to a reduction in her period of confinement.

She was among the seven female Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) detained at the BJMP Kalinga District Jail at the time of the interview.

For her, however, the numbers tell only part of the story. The more difficult measure was the time spent away from her children. She is separated from her husband but said her children remained a constant source of motivation throughout her detention. Her mother also helped care for them while she was away.

“...9 months ak ditoy uneg ngem 1 year eight months talaga diay sentence ko, ngem gapo diay good manners, right conduct ko ket na-reduce diay time ko ditoy, half. Separated kami ken lakay ko ngem adda met ketdi kanyak dagiti annak and uray kasanu ket adda met latta ited da na nga sustento ken dagitoy annak mi,” she said.

The hardest part was being away

Life inside the facility eventually became manageable for her, but the first days were difficult. She said her children had grown accustomed to having her around, making their separation especially painful.

“Experience ko ditoy uneg okay met. Idi damo ket medyo marigatan talaga kasi diyay garud, damo lang nga naiyado ti family ken ti annak ko. Dagitoy annak ko launay ta awan piman mangasikaso kanyada ket nasanay da nga ashak lang piman, ngem tatta ket adda da piman ken mother ko,” she recalled.

Over time, she adjusted to life inside the facility and became one of the trustees assisting jail personnel with certain tasks. As a trustee, she was allowed to leave the facility only with permission and under restrictions when personnel needed assistance or when she was required to perform specific tasks.

Despite the restrictions, family visits provided an important connection to life outside the jail.

According to her account, family visits were allowed on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a maximum of five family members. On weekdays, visitors were allowed from Tuesday to Thursday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., while Mondays and Fridays were designated as days without visitors.

Finding strength behind the walls

Like many PDLs, she experienced disagreements with fellow detainees, which she said were part of adjusting to life with people from different backgrounds. What weighed most heavily on her, however, was homesickness. She eventually found ways to cope, including listening to people who shared messages of faith and encouragement.

Her story is not only about the nine months she spent inside the facility. It is also about the possibility of returning home, rebuilding relationships, finding work, and starting again.

As she prepared to walk out of the jail on August 12, she looked forward to the simplest but most meaningful part of her release: seeing her children again.

“Tatta nga rumwar ak, sobra nga ragsak ko karkaru ta makadwakon dagiti annak ko,” she said.

For a mother who had spent months separated from her family, freedom meant more than leaving a jail facility—it meant finally coming home.