SANTA ROSA CITY, Laguna (PIA) -- The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in cooperation with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has recently opened a technical skills training facility at the Santa Rosa City Jail Male Dormitory in Laguna where Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) will be taught I.T. skills as part of their reformation and as a second shot to improve their livelihood under the Tech4ED (Technology for Education, to gain Employment, train Entrepreneurs towards Economic Development)  program.

Housed inside the city jail, the facility which was opened on October 19, aims to utilize information and communications technology (ICT) in providing employment opportunities for various sectors such as PDLs, students, senior citizens, women, PWDs, farmers, among others. Such type of facilities set up in jails, are supported by digital centers that were set up in strategic locations by the DICT.

DICT Region IV Director Cheryl Ortega believes that information technology interventions go a long way in providing an alternative means of income for reformed PDLs.

"Our aim is to give them equal opportunities so that they can reintegrate into society with confidence," Ortega said.

The training sessions for PDLs include basic social media management, creation of social media advertisements, advertisings monitoring, and digital marketing.

A 32-year-old-PDL who benefitted from the training program said that their newly-acquired skills will give them a better chance to get job opportunities once they regain their civil liberties. 

"(The sessions) have greatly helped us, so that when we are released, we can use it as a starting point in our lives or when we want to try entrepreneurship," he said.

He hopes that the digital marketing techniques he learned from the training would help him promote his apartment rental business.

The DICT believes that these trainings don't require significant capital, making them a viable alternative to common aftercare interventions provided by other agencies. The training also helps combat the stigma PDLs face when reintegrating with society.

Both the DICT and BJMP expressed their openness to more partnerships in putting up more Tech4ED centers in jails and the donation of ICT equipment.

Ortega said: "We support their existing ICT-based services, like e-visiting and e-hearing. By providing additional computers, it gives more access opportunities to the PDLs. At the same time, there are content management systems like, if they have a traditional alternative learning system, there are also ICT-based content."

In addition to the Tech4ED centers in jails, there are more than 400 centers in the region and more than 5,000 nationwide, which are open to the public. These centers provide free access to the internet and offer opportunities to learn digital techniques from the DICT. (CH/PIA-Laguna)