Rian Gabriel Fuentes

Persons deprived of liberty (PDL) can now enjoy easier access to schooling as the Department of Education (DepEd) and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officially partnered on October 10. 

Photo Courtesy of Manila City Jail Community Relations Service.

They have formalized their Memorandum of Agreement to improve educational access through the Alternative Learning System (ALS). 

“Together, we’re not just giving education; we are providing hope, we are providing dignity, we are providing a brighter future,” said DepEd Secretary Angara on Thursday. 

According to him, over 20,000 PDLs have enrolled since 2022 with enrollment numbers being higher in junior high school than elementary and senior high school. 

BJMP Chief Ruel Rivera likewise expressed his gratitude to DepEd by noting that their one goal is to create a more humane society through focusing on education. 

This is not the first time both agencies have interacted as BJMP Chief in Central Visayas (BJMP-7) Neil Avisado said in August 2023 that he hopes that the ALS will extend up to collegiate level seeing that enrollees are more likely to live a normal life again. 

“Sana ay ma-extend yun at at mabigyan namin ng kompleto na edukasyon ang aming mga PDL… up to college level. Binibigay ito para yung stay nila dito, kung gaano man kahaba o gaano man kaliit ay nabigyan natin ng meaning,” he said. 

So far, collegiate-level is not yet available nationwide. 

However, there are cases like Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) starting their first face-to-face classes in jail on September 18 with 72 PDLs taking BS Administration in Marketing Management.