In an unprecedented event, the first “Madrasah graduation’’ rites was conducted at the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), earning accolades from the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).

NCMF Regional Office IX Cultural Affairs Division chief Dalhata Musa expressed the agency’s sincere and deepest appreciation to the BJMP’s efforts in supporting the Islamic education inside its jail facility.

“To the management of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, may Allah bless you for this Madrasah and may this be the first of many,” Musa said.

“You are giving our Muslim brothers an enormous opportunity to fulfill one of the goals of their religion. Little by little, class by class, knowledge after knowledge, you are changing their lives,” she added.

The oldest of the 74 graduates from Tahderiyyah which basically covers the Arabic alphabet or the Al-abjadiyah is a 61-year old male person deprived of liberty (PDL) while the youngest student is 20-years old.

BJMP Jail Supt. Xavier Solda stated that the program which started in July 2023 is part of the continuing jail management reforms at Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory.

“Our strong desire for the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to continue their Islamic education is anchored on the obligation of the State to protect the right to education of every Filipino while consistently promoting the free exercise of religion,” Solda said.

“We envision that through the education programs here in madrasah, we can create a community of compassionate and knowledgeable peacemakers among the PDL under our care,” he added.

BJMP chief Jail Director Ruel Rivera also lauded the Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory for their initiative to establish a “Madrasah” in their jail unit which is reflective of the Jail Bureau’s direction toward inclusive education and free exercise of religion.

“We applaud this pioneering initiative of Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory which stands as a testament of the bureau’s strong desire toward holistic reformation inside our jail”, Rivera noted.

“Together with our colleagues and the families of PDL, we celebrate this important journey of our Muslim brothers behind bars toward rehabilitation”, he added.

At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, the NCMF donated sets of the Holy Quran, sejarah or prayer mats and textbooks for the use of the PDL students.