Social media users praised food content creator Ninong Ry for sharing his blessing with the inmates of the San Juan City Jail Male Dormitory.
In a video posted on Tuesday, the vlogger shared that he prepared meals and distributed hygiene kits for around 350 inmates.
The vlogger chef cooked beef caldereta, roasted chicken, and stir-fried bean sprouts.
Ninong Ry was invited to cook for the inmates by celebrity Karen Bordador, who was imprisoned for five years for charges of conspiracy to sell illegal drugs.
Karen was acquitted, then released with the verdict of “not guilty” on June 15, 2021.
“Madami talagang hindi nakakain ng masasarap na pagkain sa loob ng mga selda nila. And sa ano kasi sa city jail sympre yung pagkain nila like ano upo lang or like mga basic na less than even bare minimum,” Karen said.
RELATED: Iloilo inmates’ protest over food shortage opens talk on prisoners’ rights
Jail congestion
In the same video, the vlogger also met with Caritas Manila and discussed the issues faced by prisoners.
Gabriel Salamat of Caritas Manila shared that some prisoners languished in jail longer than they should be because of the slow justice system.
Poverty, absence of a witness, lack of judges, and jail congestion are some of the issues raised by the organization.
The congestion rate of jails in the country is at 370% as of September 2022, based on data from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
How the public reacted
Meanwhile, the vlog on Ninong Ry’s visit to prison received positive comments online.
As of writing, the video earned 3.6 million views, more than 415 Facebook reactions, and about 13,000 comments.
Several praised the vlogger for his kind act and described him as an epitome of a “true influencer.”
“In a world of toxic vloggers, here comes Ninong Ry who shows the kind of influence you wanted to spread. Humbling experience watching you doing this, Ninong! May God bless you more,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Ninong Ry just showed us the true meaning of an INFLUENCER,” a social media user said.
“Kudos sayo sir!!! Perfect example of how an influencer should act. Giving back to the community,” another wrote.
“Thank you Ninong Ry for raising awareness about our justice system,” a Facebook user said.
“Ninong Ry you really did well. This video is my favorite vlog ever,” another said.
The vlogger shared that he has learned a lot from his visit to the San Juan prison. He is hopeful that his video would raise awareness about the state of prisons in the country.
“Hindi lang ako nagluto sa ibang lugar, nagluto ako sa ibang mundo. Madami akong nakilalang tao, madami akong narinig na kwento na sana pamamagitan ng pagbabahagi ng videos ko sa internet madami din ang makakita at makaalam na mayroong ganito,” Ninong Ry said.