38 PDLs graduate from La Salle Green Hills Alternative Education Program
Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) can change the course of their lives through education.
This was the lesson embraced by 38 PDLs from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City as they graduated from senior high school under the La Salle Green Hills Alternative Education Program.
Their graduation ceremony was held recently inside the CIW, with Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. as commencement speaker.
During the event, Catapang highlighted the enduring power of education to foster rehabilitation and personal transformation.
He urged the PDL graduates to persevere as productive members of society, as he cited Sen. Robinhood Padilla, a former PDL, as a story of chance and transformation.
He acknowledged that many employers have reservations about hiring PDLs, but he said that PDLs are eager to prove their worth and will pledge loyalty once hired.
But he said: “In employing PDLs, they can be assured of loyalty, as these individuals often have a different perspective on opportunity.”
Justice Undersecretary Deo Marco, who was also present during the event, inspired the graduates not to be weighed down by their past. "You are not defined by your past. It may explain where you’ve been, but it will not dictate where you’re going. Your diploma unlocks new opportunities and a new life waiting for you," he said.
In April 2024, the CIW and the LSGH signed a memorandum of agreement under the latter’s alternative learning system program to ensure that that students who enroll are able to complete their two years of senior high school.