A total of 66 male and 32 female persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the Zamboanga City Jail completed the “Madrasah Al-Irtiqa’e’’ curriculum under the “Tahderiyyah Program on Islamic Education,’’ the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) stated on Monday, Sept. 16.
The main focus of the educational program revolves around Islamic studies and Arabic language which has three general descriptive types in the Philippines namely traditional, formal and standard private with the traditional or weekend madrasah considered as a non-formal school that focuses on religious instructions.
In a statement, the BJMP acknowledged that the graduation rites marks for the Muslim PDLs is a significant step in the continuous enhancement of education and values formation components of the PDL welfare and development programs in the facility.
Speaking at the ceremony, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Secretary Sabuddin Abdurahim emphasized the unit's peacebuilding efforts through Islamic education, implementing a faith-based approach in the PDL's reformation process.
“We are grateful to the leadership of Zamboanga City Jail for fostering personal growth and spiritual development in our Muslim brothers and sisters," Abdurahim said.
"The Commission is pleased to note the various programs and services of the jail unit to ensure the welfare of the PDL, promoting their rights as human beings, particularly their right to free exercise of religion," he added.
For his part, BJMP Chief Jail Director Ruel Rivera extended his appreciation to the NCMF for its continuous support of the bureau, stressing “the value of interagency collaborations to the reformation process of PDL.’’
“Together with our service providers and other partners, we remain focused on providing a holistic program for the PDL to guide them on their eventual reintegration into the community," Rivera noted.
"The 34 percent increase in the number of graduates today demonstrates our strong commitment to engaging our PDL in more programs that are really impactful to them," he added.
In 2023, Madrasah Al-Irtiqa'e was started by Zamboanga City Jail Male Dormitory warden Jail Supt. Xavier Solda to promote the right to education and religious freedom of the Muslim PDLs in partnership with NCMF Region-IX under the leadership of Dr. Zulfikar Abantas.
Zamboanga City Jail's Tahderiyyah Program has now graduated 172 PDL students.