The Quezon City government announced on Wednesday, Sept. 21, that persons deprived of liberty (PDLS) in the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory (QCJMD) may continue their basic education through the first senior high school program to be offered by its Schools Division Office (SDO).
“Karapatan ng bawat mamamayan ang magkaroon ng maayos na edukasyon. Dito sa lungsod, hindi tayo papayag na maging hadlang ang katayuan o sitwasyon sa buhay para hindi makapag-aral. Sa QC, ang edukasyon ay pantay, inklusibo, at bukas para sa lahat ( It is the right of every citizen to have proper education. Here in the city, we will not allow the status or life situation to be an obstacle for the citizens not to be able to study. In QC, education is equal, inclusive, and open to all,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
“Ang ating mga institusyon tulad ng QC Jail ay nagsisilbing pangalawang tahanan ng ating mga mamamayan na nagbabagong-buhay. Habang narito sila, tinutulungan natin sila ng iba-ibang kakayahan o skills na magagamit nila sa kanilang reintegration sa komunidad ( Our institutions like the QC Jail serve as a second home for our citizens seeking a fresh start in their lives. While they are here, we help them learn different abilities or skills that they can use in their reintegration into the community),” Belmonte added.
According to the city government, the SDO signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the QCJMD and the Fernando C. Amorsolo Senior High School on Friday, Sep. 16, which will offer the Technical, Vocational, and Livelihood Strand (TVL) specializing in Home Economics (HE) - Bread and Pastry Production, Cookery and Commercial Cooking; Information and Communications Technology (ICT) – Animation and Computer Programming and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), to the inmates.
Present at the signing of the MOU were QC Assistant City Administrator for General Affairs lawyer Rene Grapilon, QCJMD Warden Jail Supt. Michelle Bonto, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Brian Ilan, and Fernando C. Amorsolo Senior High School Principal Mr. Larry M. Castro.
The city government said that upon the PDLs’ graduation from the program, they can obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II) once they pass the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) competency-based assessment.
Bonto thanked the city government for its continuous support given to the QCJMD that boosts the capability and morale of its personnel and the PDLs.
The K to 12 program is a new program over and above the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program for Elementary and Junior High School competencies, the local government said.
It added that it is also prioritizing the inclusion of technical, vocational, and livelihood training and other aftercare initiatives that aim to positively transform the lives of PDLs to become productive citizens of the city upon their release.