by Miriam G. Desacada
A total of 464 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) of the Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Abuyog, Leyte received their educational fund assistance from the DSWD-Region 8 during a distribution ceremony at the ALS building of the LRP’s maximum security camp on Thursday (April 13).
The PDLs, commonly known before as prisoners, are currently enrolled (school year 2022-2023) in the Alternative Learning System (ALS), a national education program made available also by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) that manages the LRP, also known as the Abuyog Penal Colony.
BuCor partnered with the DSWD-8 in providing the ALS program to willing PDLs in three categories: elementary level; junior high school; and senior high school.
A total of 228 PDLs, enrolled at the elementary level, each received P1,000 in educational aid; 172 PDLs taking up junior high school each received P2,000; and 64 PDLs enrolled in senior high school got P3,000 each.
The educational aid, amounting to P764,000 from the DSWD-8, is a support fund to cover educational expenses of the PDLs’ needs in their studies.
The DSWD has been backing BuCor’s program to provide the PDLs with the chance to continue their education and become productive citizens as they rejoined with their families and communities in the future. —Miriam G. Desacada