EMPOWERING PDLs. At least 72 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) attend their first synchronous class conducted by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Open University System (OUS) at the Manila City Jail on Sept. 18, 2024. The PDLs are enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Marketing Management course. (Photo courtesy of PUP)
MANILA – The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) has expanded its Education-on-Wheels (EOW) program to persons deprived of liberty (PDL) at the Manila City Jail Male Dormitory through its Open University System.
In a statement Thursday, PUP Institute of Open and Distance Education director Rudolf Anthony Lacerna said they will maximize technology for a blended learning setup for 72 PDLs inside the facility.
“I-implement pa rin natin yung kapangyarihan ng teknolohiya. So, andun sila sa isang klase kasi may magandang pasilidad sa piitan pero ang mga guro ay nasa PUP pa (We are implementing the power of technology. So, they are present in the class because there’s a good facility in the jail but the teachers are still in PUP),” he said.
“Blended learning pa rin siya. Ibig sabihin merong isa or dalawang meeting na dadalaw din ang mga guro para sa isang activity naman na doon gaganapin sa piitan (It’s still a blended learning. Meaning, there’s one or two meetings where teachers will visit the jail for actual activities),” Lacerna added.
The PUP-OUS started its synchronous classes on Wednesday for the PDLs who were enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - major in Marketing Management.
PUP president Manuel Muhi, meanwhile, stressed that the OUS program in partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) serves as the Filipinos’ “place for second chances” as it provides fair access to quality education.
“We are offering quality education right at the doorstep of every Filipino. Kasama ito sa ating mandato na mas maging aksesable ang pinakamataas na kalidad ng edukasyon (This is included in our mandate to make the highest level of education accessible to all),” he said.
Before the expansion to PDLs, the PUP EOW offered a four-year Bachelor of Science in Office Administration program to financially challenged out-of-school youth in select parts of Metro Manila using its bus-turned-classroom. (PNA)
