CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – In the confines of the Iligan City Jail-Male Dormitory (ICJMD), where the weight of incarceration can often overshadow aspirations for personal growth, a ray of hope shines through an unexpected avenue: the pursuit of knowledge and skill development.

Jess, who is awaiting court decisions on his violence against women and drug cases, has not lost hope. He dreams of a future beyond prison walls and has enrolled in an English literacy course offered to inmates by the state-run Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT).

He is one of the 20 inmates at the ICJMD participating in MSU-IIT’s weekly English essentials class, just one of several short-term courses available for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Iligan prison. 

They account for only about 4% of the more than 500 inmates either serving time or awaiting the resolution of their cases at the Iligan jail. But others chose to take up the university’s programs on performing arts, upcycling of indigenous materials, information and communication technology, financial literacy, sports and fitness, and livelihood skills, among others.

As part of a broader initiative, MSU-IIT has offered the inmates a diverse array of vocational training programs, ranging from English literacy, culinary arts to computer-aided drafting, aimed at equipping them with practical skills.

Jess said he was optimistic that his cases would be dismissed and that he chose the two-year English course, which was started by MSU-IIT’s College of Education on Saturday, April 13, because he planned to work in another country in search of greener pastures and where he can start anew.

Jail Officer 1 Vanessa Manguilimotan, ICJMD’s instructional manager, said, “You can more easily understand standard business communications if you speak English. Learning English is a terrific method to advance one’s communication abilities, cultural awareness, and employment chances.”

Jess and other inmates said they found a sense of purpose and opportunity through the initiative of their jailers and academics, amid the challenges of living behind bars.

Jail Officer 3 Emerson Lactuan, ICJMD’s community relations services officer, said the English literacy course has been tailored to the unique needs of inmates at the Iligan prison and is aimed not only to enhance language skills but also to cultivate avenues for their personal development and societal reintegration.

An initiative of Chief Inspector Carlo Obrique, ICJMD jail warden, the MSU-IIT-funded “Behind the Bars Program” was launched following a cooperation agreement between the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Northern Mindanao and the state university.

Lactuan said the program, facilitated by MSU-IIT faculty members led by Professor Angeline Dinoro, is a display of a commitment to holistic education and social responsibility and represents more than just an academic pursuit.

“It embodies a collective endeavor to break down barriers, dismantle stigma, and foster a culture of inclusivity and empowerment,” he said. – Rappler.com