CABANATUAN CITY (PIA) — The Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) has partnered with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in offering persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) access to college education.
NEUST President Rhodora Jugo said that by promoting the College Education Behind Bars (CEBB) program, the university aims to open doors to learning and bring education closer to PDLs.
The Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology partners with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in offering persons deprived of liberty with access to college education under the College Education Behind Bars program. (NEUST)
“We open doors of learning to persons deprived of liberty, offering them more than just an academic experience. We offer them a second chance to rebuild their lives with dignity, direction, and purpose,” she pressed.
The official specified that the university recognizes that every person, regardless of past mistakes, has the potential to grow, change, and make meaningful contributions to society.
“By extending the gift of education to our brothers and sisters behind bars, we are affirming their worth and investing in their future,” Jugo added.
Meanwhile, BJMP Regional Director JCSupt. Paulino Moreno Jr. highlighted that the Memorandum of Agreement signed with NEUST is a step towards the goal of granting PDLs the right to education, change, and start a new life.
“Education is a human right that should be accessible even to those behind bars,” Moreno emphasized.
NEUST Director for Curriculum Development and Evaluation Nancy Joy Mangansat disclosed that the CEBB program will be implemented beginning Academic Year 2025-2026 with PDLs from the Cabanatuan City District Jail as pilot students, who can choose to study either Bachelor of Industrial Technology or Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship.
The program will be offered to both PDLs currently in jail and those nearing release.
It will be conducted in a hybrid learning modality, combining onsite face-to-face instruction and modular or online learning wherein NEUST faculty will conduct sessions within the jail facility. (CLJD/CCN, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)
