Introduction

In 2001, the government of the Philippines launched the Alternative Learning System (ALS), a
Department of Education programme (RoP 2001a) which provides

opportunities for the acquisition of basic literacy and livelihood skills to specifc

groups of disadvantaged learners, including out-of-school youth, adults and diferently-abled individuals,
particularly in remote areas of the country, as well as prison

inmates. The government of the Philippines stands frm in its commitment to prison

education and lends further support to the relevant guiding principle from the United

Nations’ Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners:

All prisoners shall have the right to take part in cultural activities and education aimed at the full
development of the human personality (OHCHR 1990,

section 6, emphasis added).

Thirty-fve years earlier, the United Nations’ Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
already stated that

[to establish in prisoners the will to lead law-abiding and self-supporting lives

after their release and to ft them to do so], all appropriate means shall be used,

including religious care in the countries where this is possible, education,

vocational guidance and training, social casework, employment counselling, physical development and
strengthening of moral character, in accordance
with the individual needs of each prisoner, taking account of his [sic] social

and criminal history, his physical and mental capacities and aptitudes, his personal temperament, the
length of his sentence and his prospects after releaseThe Philippines currently has a total of seven
correctional facilities located all over

the country which take charge of the confnement and rehabilitation of inmates.

These facilities include the country’s main correctional institution, New Bilibid

Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa, National Capital region; as well as the Correctional

Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila; Iwahig Prison

and Penal Farm in Palawan, and Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Mindoro Occidental (both in
Mimaropa, Luzon region); Leyte Regional Prison in Leyte (eastern

Visayas region); San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga del Sur; and

Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao del Norte. The last two are both in the

Mindanao region.1

All are operating prisons and all ofer ALS as part of their educational programmes. But it must be
emphasised here that it is only in NBP (the focus

of this article) that the educational system extends up to college level.

The educational forms of assistance utilised in the treatment of prisoners incarcerated at all-male New
Bilibid Prison (NBP) include education programmes ofered
at fve levels: ALS (Levels 1, 2 and 3); elementary; secondary; vocational; and college (the extension
school is handled by the University of Perpetual Help System

DALTA).2

There is a sixth unit, the School of Fine Arts (SOFA), which, albeit recognised by the Bureau of
Corrections, is not yet ofcially afliated with an educational institution or art association.

Just before introducing ALS in 2001, the government of the Philippines had

already launched its National Service Training Program (NSTP), a compulsory

2-semester course component for all the country’s Bachelor and technical vocational

students (RoP 2001b). There is a choice of three subject areas, one of which is the

Literacy Training Service (LTS) module.3

This is designed to train students in teaching literacy and numeracy skills to schoolchildren, out-of-
school youths and other

citizens in need of their services, including prison inmates.

NSTP aims to instil civic consciousness in university students and involve them

in worthwhile pursuits as Filipino citizens serving their nation. The purpose of

including prison education in NSTP-LTS was to fnd another opportunity for students to experience
personal growth as well as enabling them to develop a new civic consciousness.
NBP’s inmate learners admitted that being incarcerated had done them a lot of good.

Being unschooled prior to imprisonment, their reading and writing skills were either

non-existent or very limited, and numbers gave them phobia. They considered it an

accomplishment to have learned how to spell and write their names as well as those

of the members of their respective families. Counting money and realising its worth

was similarly deemed a feat to be proud of. It may sound ironic, but these inmate

learners acknowledged the fact that if they had not been convicted and put in prison,

they might have remained unable to read and write up to the time of our study.

Filipino inmate learners are extended the biggest opportunity when it comes to

correctional education. It is a sad fact that there are even some prisoners who admit

that they had to be criminals in order to take advantage of education up to the tertiary level. Being in a
correctional institution provides more time to study. It was a

new learning experience that enabled them to enhance their intellectual skills and

form values in life that will help them reintegrate into society upon their release.

As change agents, inmate learners educated through ALS will develop themselves

and are equipped with lifelong learning as their coping mechanism. Understandably,
this will not be solely in academic subjects but also in areas that will enable them to

survive once they are granted their freedom and re-join the mainstream of society.

The implementation of the programme should also provide avenues by which to connect both civilian
and inmate learners, drawing in the community and other independent sector organisations, both public
and private, getting all of them involved in adult

learning so that in the end, the lives of inmates may be transformed for the better. It

is worth noting here that even NBP prison guards are trained to become teachers. In

the end, participation in ALS moulds new identities wherein both inmate learners and

facilitators become not just learners but achievers as well in their own right.

Looking at style, one insight all of our respondents brought up was that cooperation is a vital ingredient
in order to attain the objectives of the school which

include personal and social development. It is, however, important that the of Corrections gives its full
support and prioritises education as the cornerstone of

the rehabilitation programme.

Outside help, especially when it comes to funding, cannot be always relied upon

one hundred per cent of the time. However, suggestions from external parties with

regard to prisoner welfare may be looked into. Thus, partnerships with selected

agencies may be initiated, for example for the purpose of conducting trainings and
seminars, not just for inmates but also for NBP’s teachers and administrators.

Prison culture is something that needs deeper understanding on the part of both

administrators and civilian teachers. Accepting the diversity of inmates’ cultures,

regional idiosyncrasies and even diferences in dialects bodes well for their peaceful

coexistence. Efective interventions could include a multicultural teaching strategy

that could be tested and later applied to prisoners with varied backgrounds.

With regard to the school’s systems, values are given topmost consideration;

followed by established guidelines on curriculum, co-curricular activities and programme

mind within which it functions.