• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Negros Island Region (BJMP-NIR) forged a partnership with the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) to provide education to the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
The partnership was sealed by virtue of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by both parties on Friday, September 5, at the NORSU Main Campus in Dumaguete City.
Under the partnership agreement, NORSU will extend support through community extension programs that focus on providing inmates with access to college education, specialized training, and values formation programs.
It was added that the beneficiaries of the program are the PDLs who are high school graduates. The programs provide an avenue for them to take another chance in life and in the aspect of education.
BJMP-NIR Director Jail Superintendent Brendan Fulgencio said that the program is a great opportunity for the inmates to be shaped, to make them become better, and to be a functional individual when they get out of the jail.
“We cannot solely do our mandate to promote developmental opportunities for our PDLs; we need and appreciate institutions like the NORSU for assisting us in this noble undertaking to prepare them [PDLs] to be a functional member of the society,” he said.
NORSU President Dr. Marjon Yasi added that the state university is willing and is dedicated to providing accessible and advanced education, not only to the students, but also to those who were inside the penology.
“It’s an extension program that is not only for students but also for PDLs. We believe that even if we fail in life, there are still second chances. We will continue to help them despite the fact that they are inside,” he said.
The partnership reflects a strong commitment of the BJMP-NIR to a transformative program to uplift the lives of the inmates and to build safer and more resilient communities, Fulgencio further said.*
