TOURIST ATTRACTION. Inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City, perform various dance numbers on Friday, August 12, 2022, their first during the pandemic.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
The jail became world-famous in 2006 for its dancing programs as a form of rehabilitation
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The famous dancing inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) performed for the public again on Friday, August 12, over two years since the jail was first put on lockdown due to COVID-19.
About 150 inmates participated, and opened their performance dancing to the tune of the Mission Impossible theme song.
About 150 inmates participated in the dance number. For their first number, they danced in the rain to the theme from “Mission Impossible.” pic.twitter.com/LadT26lN6f
— Ryan Macasero (@ryanmacasero) August 12, 2022
In April 2020, jail personnel were required to stay in the jail, and no visitors were allowed, due to the rising cases of COVID-19 then. (READ: 17 Cebu provincial jail inmates test positive for coronavirus)
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia attended the inmates’ first dance performance during the pandemic.
Garcia pushed for the relaunch of the inmates dance program as part of the provincial government’s tourism push, to help reboot the local economy still recovering from the pandemic.
During the first lockdown, the jail was cut off from visitors due to the rising COVID-19 cases. The total population of the jail is roughly 1,600.
The jail became world-famous in 2006 for its dancing program as a form of rehabilitation. Their video dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” has over 50 million views to date.
The jail was also featured in the 2019 Netflix documentary Happy Jail.
The dance program was touted as an anti-violence and anti-drug program of the jail. – Rappler.com