One answer began in 2016 when two intrepid champions of penal reform launched the College Education Behind Bars (CEBB) in Davao City. Susan Cariaga established the first CEBB program in the Philippines, which I believe is also the first in Asia. I declared that education has given PDLs more than just a degree – it has also bestowed respect and dignity. The PDLs may have been deprived of liberty, but we must not deprive them of the right to education. Indeed, education behind bars can help lower prison population, enhance community safety, turn incarceration into opportunity and permanently transform lives.

Source: Philippine Star January 16, 2026 17:31 UTC