27 PDLs in Cebu, Danao get college education behind bars

Local

THEY sit behind bars, but their dreams now reach far beyond the prison walls.

For the first time in the Visayas, persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are officially enrolled in a college program through a groundbreaking partnership between Cebu Technological University (CTU) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Twenty-seven PDLs from detention facilities in Cebu City and Danao have begun their pursuit of higher education through the newly launched Center for Innovation in Education Behind Bars (CIEBB) pilot program.

The initiative, which evolved from CTU’s earlier skills training project SAKPO, offers a Certificate of Technology major in Computer Technology.

It turns detention centers into unconventional classrooms and PDLs into students who are reclaiming their futures.

“If they meet the entrance requirements like any other applicant, why should we say no?” said Dr. Denilin Batulan, CTU faculty regent and project leader, who belived "education is for all, regardless of circumstance."

The program aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 4 on quality education and Goal 17 on partnerships.

The 27 PDLs, consisting of 22 men and five women, are from the Cebu City Male Dormitory, Cebu City Female Dormitory, and Danao City Jail. Thirty slots were originally offered, but three applicants failed to meet the complete requirements.

Classes began on March 17. Lectures are conducted via Zoom, while assignments are submitted to designated collection points inside the jails.

For major exams and academic assessments, CTU faculty members conduct in-person visits with the help of jail officials.

While tuition remains a challenge due to the lack of formal government funding, local jail units have stepped in to help. In Danao, for example, the jail management has taken on the responsibility of covering entrance fees for PDL-students.

Batulan expressed hope that the project will eventually be covered by the government’s free tertiary education program.

During a conference in Davao City, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Prospero de Vera encouraged state universities and colleges to support education initiatives for PDLs to qualify them for budget inclusion in the future.

CTU’s engagement with the jail community began in 2016 when Batulan proposed a skills training program for PDLs.

Since then, hundreds have completed certifications in bread and pastry production, welding, and computer servicing.

Some have used these skills to land jobs or start small businesses upon release. A few have even found employment overseas.

But beyond economic opportunity, Batulan emphasized the deeper value of education.

For her, this program is not just about employment. It is about restoring dignity and purpose.

Giving PDLs a chance to learn sends a clear message that rehabilitation is not only possible but essential.

In the quiet corners of city jails, with makeshift desks and borrowed laptops, dreams are taking shape. These students may wear prison uniforms, but their hearts carry the hope of graduation robes and a life beyond their sentences.(MyTVCebu)