SETBI Celebrate Fift Commencement Exercises Fifteen PDL at the College Education Behind Bars put on their caps and gowns on Thursday to grab their diploma and kickstart a brigther future for themselves. Fifteen PDL completed their Senior Highs School diploma from,Thompson Christian School through partnership with SETBI and continue work on their College diploma by enrolled Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the SETBI partnered with the University of Southeastern Phillipines. “Our PDLs have violated the law and are deprived of their liberty but not of their fundamental rights, including the right to receive education,” Hon. Retrina Fuentes, Executive Judge , Regional Trial Court ,11th Judical Region Court , Davao City said during her congratulator message .Over 100 students graduated from the College Education Behind Bars (CEBB) program at Davao City Jail campus. This initiative has provided Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) with the opportunity to earn university diplomas, and Senior High school diploma representing a significant milestone toward a brighter future. The establishment of a new campus at Davao Prison and Penal Farm, through the partnership between the Social Entrepreneurship, Technology, Business Institute Inc., Davao Del Norte State College, and the Bureau of Corrections, has been instrumental in expanding CEBB’s reach and impact.
Its transformative power transcends even to the most unwanted place in society – prison or jail and redirects lives even of the most segregated and stigmatized members of the community – the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs). In Davao City Jail, where CEBB was piloted, and the first of its kind in the Philippines and Asia, it has been a game-changer since its operation in 2017. It has broken barriers and stigma, giving new perspectives and dispelling stereotypes among PDLs. The CEBB program, conceived by the Social Entrepreneurship Technology and Business Institute (SETBI) in partnership with SETBI, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) XI, aims to help PDLs overcome personal, economic, social, and civic deficiencies by offering a quality college education. The opportunity to pursue a college education, earn a degree and college diploma, and become market-ready while behind bars has marked a transformative moment in the lives of PDLs in Davao City Jail.
The College Education Behind Bars (CEBB) is a product of a partnership initiated by the Social Entrepreneurship Technology and Business Institute (SETBI) with other government instrumentalities, such as the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) XI, Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and other private sectors and organizations. The collaboration started when SETBI partnered with the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) XI on September 28, 2016, through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to formally establish and operationalize CEBB. The program has produced more than 110 graduates to date. Meanwhile, more than 157 students are expected to enroll in the CEBB programs for the 2024-2025 school year.
