Written by Michael Angelo Castro
Inside the walls of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, a quiet but powerful revolution is unfolding—one fueled by compassion, education, and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves a second chance.
Thanks to the generous support of ABS-CBN Foundation International, volunteer persons deprived of liberty (PDL) teachers recently completed a transformative training titled “Facilitating Learning for Varied-Level PDL Learners.” These teachers—who themselves are inmates—guide their fellow PDLs in their educational journey through the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS).
The training recognized a truth often overlooked: that learners behind bars are as diverse as any classroom outside. Some are functionally illiterate adults, others are out-of-school youth who may be tech-savvy but lacking in values orientation, while still others are indigenous persons with rich traditions but limited exposure to formal education.
Through the training, the PDL ALS teachers were equipped with tools and techniques to design lessons that are relevant, practical, and rooted in the learners’ experiences. They learned how to break down abstract lessons into simple, concrete, and meaningful activities—making learning not only possible, but powerful. And the impact is real.
One teacher shared the story of a learner who once could not identify letters. But through patience and encouragement, that learner learned to read. When his wife came to visit, he proudly read to her. On her next visit, she brought handwritten letters from their children, knowing he could now read them on his own.
Another learner who had just learned to read used to go to the market with a list, handing it to the vendor who would quietly fill his bag. Now, he walks the stalls with confidence, choosing and reading the items himself—dignity regained through literacy.
One inmate, overjoyed after being taught to write his name, offered his teacher ₱50 in gratitude. The teacher gently declined and asked why. The learner said that when he went to an LBC branch and filled out the form himself for the first time, the clerk—who usually wore a pout—smiled at him. “That smile was worth more than the ₱50,” he said.
Another former inmate returned to thank his teacher after release. “Before, I always needed someone to go with me to ride a jeepney,” he said. “Now I don’t—because I can read the destination signs myself.”
In the computer lab donated by Programa Genio, one learner was taught how to operate a computer. He told his teacher, “When I get out, the first thing I’ll do is teach my child how to use this too.”
Perhaps the most moving story came from a teacher who started with a student at the very beginning—basic literacy. With relentless dedication, he helped him pass the ALS Accreditation & Equivalency (A&E) exam. Today, that same student now stands beside him—as a fellow volunteer PDL ALS teacher.
These stories are not isolated moments—they are ripples of hope, made possible by the investment in equipping our PDL ALS teachers with the skills and inspiration to teach not just academic subjects, but dignity, self-worth, and dreams.
Education inside prison walls does more than reduce recidivism. It creates fathers who can read bedtime stories, sons who can write letters home, workers who can read safety signs, and citizens who believe in a better tomorrow.
With continued support from donors like ABS-CBN Foundation International, more PDL ALS teachers will become empowered educators and changemakers. And with their help, many more lives behind bars will be transformed—not just for reintegration into society, but for reclamation of human dignity.