CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 10 inked a memorandum of agreement for a collaboration on the delivery of education to persons deprived of liberty (PDL) who are under the jail bureau’s custody, April 25.

BJMP-10 Regional Director Jail Chief Superintendent Cesar M. Langawin thanked the DepEd for the collaboration. The MOA signing will bring education closer to more than 200 PDLs in the CDO area alone, and more around the region.

"I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to DepEd for committing to provide an alternative learning system to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) under our care. With your support, we believe that we can make a significant impact on the lives of our PDLs, empowering them with knowledge and skills that they can use to rebuild their lives and contribute to society once they are released," he said.

For his part, DepEd-10 Regional Director Arturo B. Bayocot said there are a lot of students who cannot pursue their studies the usual way, and ALS is giving them a second chance at education.

"In DepEd, we have an alternative learning system. It is a regular component, although in its conception, it used to just be a band-aid solution. But getting the harvest of the program, it becomes a regular component of DepEd because statistics tell us that there are a lot of students who cannot pursue their studies the usual way because our students in the Alternative Learning System are those in unique circumstances," the director said.

He added that these individuals could not go to school every day because many of them are married and working students. So, it’s really a challenge going to school every day.

Bayocot added that they intend to broaden the program that the ceremonial MOA signing has brought about. The event was held at the DepEd-10 Regional Office. (IJBD/PIA-10)