the PJPS Ex-Preso: Your Fresh Start
In a quiet corner of the community, where the scent of coffee mingles with stories of grace and resilience, the PJPS Ex-Preso cart stands as a living witness to hope made tangible. Launched under PJPS’s PRL CARE program (Companionship, Assistance, Reintegration, Empowerment), Ex-Preso is more than a café; it is a creative formation space for Persons Restored of Liberty (PRLs). Every barista behind the cart carries a narrative not of shame, but of sacred transformation. Their presence in society is a reintroduction shaped by restored dignity and profound grace. Unlike traditional livelihood programs, PJPS Ex-Preso centers its mission not on financial gains but on formation, which is a relational, psycho-spiritual, and communal journey. Here, brewing coffee becomes metaphor: a slow, intentional steeping of identity, trust, and integration. PRLs are trained to serve, but also they are deeply accompanied. Through expert inputs, best-practice sharing, spiritual reflections, dialogue circles, and moments of recognition, PRLs begin to reclaim the narratives lost during their incarceration. Every cup served becomes an offering of deep listening, quiet courage, and gentle rebirth. Each brew carries the warmth of unfolding testimony: “Dati nagsusuot ako ng mask kasi nahihiya akong may makakilala sa akin. Pero nung nasa Ateneo kami, nakaramdam ako ng pagka-proud sa pagka-PRL ko. Sabi ko sa sarili ko na may halaga ka at di ko dapat ikinakahiya ang aking nakaraan.” “Kung may plano ako sa buhay, si Lord din pala merong plano para sa akin. Napakaganda ng plano Nya pala para sa akin.” “Akala ko nung paglaya ko magiging mas madali. Hindi pala. Pero, natutunan kong namnamin ang mga biyaya ngayon para magkaroon ako ng lakas.” These reflections reveal not only personal progress but a spiritual unfolding of rediscovery, reintegration, and silent joy. From masks to meaning, from hiding to healing, these baristas embody transformation born not from the absence of struggle but from faithful accompaniment. Yes, Ex-Preso is a mobile café, and yet more importantly an advocacy cart. It carries dreams often hidden, and testifies with quiet humility in public spaces. “Namamangha ako. Nararating ko ang mga lugar na naririnig ko lang dati sa loob.” Their presence becomes prophetic. They realized that restoration is crucial. And true freedom includes healing, growth, and being received again by both community and kin. “Tinatanggap na ako ngayon ng aking pamilya. Isang biyaya. Hindi ko ito hiningi, kusang dumating lang. Iba kapag kumilos si Lord.” As PJPS continues to live its vision of holistic care for PRLs, ventures like Ex-Preso become sacred ground. Every brewed cup speaks of journey, recognition, and transformation. And through the steam of each morning brew, one glimpses the silahis ng liwanag, those gentle rays of light breaking through even the darkest chapters.
