Laoag City—Forty persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from the Ilocos Norte Provincial Jail (INPJ) will soon take Alternative Learning System (ALS), sponsored by the Department of Education-Schools Division of Ilocos Norte (DepEd-SDOIN), and in partnership with the Ilocos Norte provincial government.
ALS is a parallel learning system in the country established by the DepEd that provides all Filipinos, regardless of age, the opportunity to have access to and complete basic education.
Provincial jail warden Benilda Sadian noted that the selected inmates will have to take the entrance examination first to be qualified in the said education:
“Our inmates expressed their joy upon receiving this news. However, they should pass their entrance test first so they could be included in the final list of qualified ALS takers,” Ms. Sadian said.
Aside from ALS, the INPJ is also collaborating with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) to provide employment opportunities to inmates by training them in courses like baking and pastry, making massage and therapy, manufacturing, electronics, automotive, carpentry, among others.
Fifty inmates have already been oriented to take TESDA’s farming course to further expand their knowledge in agriculture and agri-business.
At present, the INPJ inmates continue to sustain their backyard garden planted with various plants such as pechay, native ginger, shallots, and other crops, which are eventually sold to nearby barangays, business establishments, and other areas.
In 2018 and 2019, INPJ was among the Top 10 Most Outstanding Provincial Jails and was awarded as Top 4 Best Provincial Jail in the Philippines, respectively. (Stewart C. Ocampo)