13/06/2026
READ | Education Beyond Bars: BJMP Empowers More Than 18,000 PDLs Through Learning and Livelihood Opportunities
As schools across the country welcome millions of learners for the opening of classes this June, thousands of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are also celebrating a milestone of their own, proving that education can transform lives even behind bars.
Some 18,342 PDLs who graduated through the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) educational program for School Year 2025-2026 exchanged their usual yellow uniforms for caps and togas, marking a significant step toward rebuilding their lives and preparing for a future beyond incarceration.
This milestone fulfills President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.โs directive on the compassionate delivery of justice, ensuring that even PDLs are given opportunities to pursue education, develop new skills, and prepare for productive reintegration into society.
For School Year 2025-2026, BJMP recorded 2,045 elementary graduates, 4,315 junior high school graduates, and 1,696 senior high school graduates who completed their basic education through the Department of Educationโs Alternative Learning System (ALS).
Behind every diploma is a story of perseverance.
One Grade 12 graduate under the program affirmed how education empowered them to rewrite their future:
โAng aking naging inspirasyon para ipagpatuloy ang aking pag-aaral ay ang aking hangarin na mabigyan ng mas magandang buhay ang aking sarili at patunayan na kaya kong baguhin ang aking kinabukasan.โ
The DILG said that as BJMP continues to expand partnerships with colleges and universities nationwide, more PDLs are gaining access to quality education and wider academic opportunities. Among the most successful initiatives is the LIWANAG Program of BJMP-National Capital Region (NCR) in partnership with La Salle Green Hills (LSGH).
Through the Tertiary Education Behind Bars Program, implemented with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), 121 PDLs have earned bachelor's degrees, demonstrating that learning and personal growth remain possible regardless of circumstance.
Complementing these academic programs are livelihood and technical-vocational training initiatives that equip PDLs with practical skills for life after incarceration. To date, 10,165 PDLs have completed vocational courses and earned National Certificates from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
As classrooms reopen and students embark on a new academic year, BJMP remains committed to helping more PDLs become productive, self-reliant, and responsible citizens upon their reintegration into society. Beyond the numbers are individuals choosing to learn, improve themselves, and work toward a better future for their families and communities.
