BACOLOD City – Thirty persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) male dormitory in Barangay Singcang-Airport here have finished school though the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
The PDL elementary and secondary graduation rites were held on Friday, August 9.
“Grabe gid ko ya ka believer sang mga quotes nga ‘Education never stops,’ Education is the great equalizer,’ and Education is the solution in getting out of poverty.’ Nagapati ako sini kay ako ang buhi nga ehemplo nga ang edukasyon makabulig gid sa aton kabuhi,” said barangay captain Caesar Distrito of Singcang-Airport, spokesperson for Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, who attended the graduation rites.
He added: “Nalipay gid ako. Just try to imagine sang 20 to 50 years old nga mga PDLs naton kag ara na sa sulod sang jail, and they found a second chance through this opportunity kag makatapos sang ila pag-eskwela.”
Also present during the ceremonies were the PDL graduates families.
“In their graduation, ara gid ang ila pamilya. Ang ila mga iloy gahilibion sa kalipay nga makita ang ila kabataan, ukon asawa nga makita ang ila bana nga naka-obra sang mapuslanon nga bagay sa sulod sang jail,” Distrito said.
The city mayor spokesman also expressed gratitude to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the ALS program, saying, “You renewed the hope in everyone’s heart and mind.”
The ALS, a program of the DepEd, is a second chance education program for out-of-school youth and adults including PDLs who cannot read or write and those who would like to continue their studies while serving their sentence.
It aims to equip PDLs with knowledge and skills that can aid their rehabilitation and reintegration into society, as well as address educational gaps and empower PDLs to gain qualifications that can help them secure employment upon release, reducing the likelihood of reoffending.
Meanwhile, the city government has proposed to transfer BJMP to Barangay Granada due to severe overcrowding following the visit of Mayor Benitez last May.
The jail, which is currently situated on a small property owned by the Bacolod City Police Office, desperately needs a more spacious and permanent location.
The city mayor emphasized the need for the humane treatment of the PDLs, noting that they deserve livable conditions as they are still presumed innocent until proven guilty./PN
