On June 27, 2025, more than 900 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa celebrated a powerful milestone—completing their Basic Literacy, Grade 6, and Junior High School education through the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS).
Despite being deprived not only of liberty but also of access to resources, these learners—guided and taught by their fellow PDL ALS teachers—recorded the highest number of passers and completers in the entire city, based on DepEd’s most recent assessment.
For the first time, families of the moving-up learners were allowed to witness the ceremony, turning the day into a moving celebration of second chances, reunion, and redemption.
Roberta Lopez-Feliciano, Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation, served as guest speaker. She shared her connection to incarceration through her father, Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr., a former political detainee, and reminded the learners: “𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚.”
Programa Genio’s Program Head, Teacher Maricar Estole, gave an inspirational message highlighting the power of second chances: “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜—𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
This momentous event was made possible through the collaboration of the Bureau of Corrections, DepEd ALS Puerto Princesa, and Programa Genio of ABS-CBN Foundation.
💙 𝙄𝙣 𝙄𝙬𝙖𝙝𝙞𝙜, 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.
📚 #AllinsaALS #ProgramaGenio #ABSCBNFoundation #ALS #EducationForAll #HopeBeyondBars #SecondChances #NoOneLeftBehind