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Social Entrepreneurship Technology and Business Institute (SETBI), University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) hold the 2^nd International Conference on Inmates’ Transformative Education for Successful Re-entry on August 14-15, 2019 at the Social Hall of the USeP Obrero campus in Davao City.Centered on the theme “ Rethinking Rehabilitation: Community in Unity, Obstacles and Realities”, the conference gathered representatives from the five pillars of the Criminal Justice System, non-government organizations (NGOs), community leaders, academic leaders, criminal justice practitioners, and students.Researchers from different parts of the country and abroad as well personalities from the Bureau of corrections, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology , Dangerous Drug board, Philippines Drug Enforcement agency , City Anti –drug Abuse Council , selected USep faculty , students and other guests present their papers on the importance of education in the future development of the Criminal Justice System.

The tow days event, which highlights the role of transformative education in reducing recidivism, serve as an avenue for the researchers to share their experiences and findings of studies on prison-based education and other related topics such as drug addiction and rehabilitation. Continue reading →

April 6, 2019
Dr. Minda Rodriguez, an ophthalmologist,Dr Magdalena Sta. Ana, MCI President Dr. Aland Mizell, and Attorney Susan Cariaga donated eye care service to Buhangin District, Brangay Mandug, Davao City, on April 6, 2019 along with a team of MCISA college students organized through Minority Care International Student Association. MCI distributed more than 250 new eyeglasses. MCI extends its thanks to Dr. Rodriguez, Attorney Cariaga,Dr Magdalena Sta. Ana, and MCI scholars for their amazing work. MCI’s goal for this ongoing project is to provide eyeglasses to improve vision and to give free eye check-ups to economically struggling communities. Last year MCI distributed more than 400 eyeglasses and gave eye check-ups for more than 1500 people, all of whom were adults. MCI alumni who are registered nurses gave free blood pressure screening for the community. Many of the people who received the free eye check-ups and eyeglasses are very happy because they can now see clearly as they read. The eye care clinic is an outreach project for students to practice compassionate servanthood, one that draws a variety of disadvantaged people to receive eye exams and free eyeglasses. This was a meaningful project for our students who enjoyed serving to fulfill this community need. Thank you, MCI.

The United States, some European countries, Australia, and a few South American countries recognized Venezuelan self-declared leader Juan Guaidó, the current president of the National Assembly, as interim President of Venezuela while the UN urged dialogue in Venezuela to avoid another Syria, making President Maduro more isolated. Russia, China, Cuba, Mexico, and Turkey, however, showed solidarity with Maduro. Thus, Venezuela has two Presidents, one, chosen by the people, albeit under claims of election fraud, and the other one chosen by other countries. No doubt Venezuela has a big economic crisis; that is why so many people left and continue to leave the country. The economic crisis in Venezuela started with Hugo Chávez, who nationalized the oil and relied too much on high oil revenue to undergird his administration, which kept him in power. But the oil prices dropped, and the country’s problems continue. No doubt Venezuela’s elections were controversial. But, the current situation in Venezuela, calling for early elections, means calling for a civil war in the country. So many countries’ elections were problematic, including the United States with several of President Trump’s aides being indicted for foreign meddling in the Presidential election. In 2017, the Kurds went to the polls in September 2017 to answer  a simple question about whether they wished to remain part of Iraq or to create their own state. “Yes” votes for independence overwhelmingly prevailed at 93 percent. Despite the Kurds being the only minority that did not have its own state, the international community did not support President Barzani. Yet, the United States and Western countries will recognize an individual as a legitimate president just because he has declared himself president without being elected. Continue reading →

Some of the students admit that they wanted to accomplish lots of thing in their lives, but finished very few. That is changing. Most of the senior high school students from Davao City Female Jail received honor certificates from Thompson Christian School. “This is a first step for my future,” said one of the students. “I’ve finally done something good in my life, and that means a lot to me.” “This kind of program helps me to discover my potential and believe in myself.” “I don’t think I ever saw potential myself, and this has given me the confidence that there is a potential in us and in me.” “There are other ways to make a living [besides selling drugs or using the drug. College Education Behind Bars has more than 100 inmates enrolled in classes now. I would like to congratulate Davao City City Female Jail warden, Rovie Ann Noe Alcantara, for encouraging inmates to do well in the College Education Behind Bars program. I would also like to congratulate newly installed Davao City Male Warden, Presco Manisan, for his new position and express gratitude for his full support for education of the inmates inside the jail.The Social Entrepreneurship Institute (SEI), by partnering with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and with the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), has initiated a “College Education Behind Bars” project at the Davao City Jail. Continue reading →

In part because America has failed to settle on a coherent, long-term foreign policy strategy in the Middle East. America is far from victory in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan whether against ISIS, Iran, or Al Qaeda. I thought President Trump could save Obama‘s failed American Middle East policy, but he managed to make America less effective in the Middle East than President Obama did. President Obama did not agree with Turkey’s President Erdogan to set up a safe zone for Syrian refugees on the Turkish border, let the Russians run the Syrian and Middle Eastern policy, failed to check Iran’s Middle East leadership ambitions, and sat passively while Syria engaged in a bloody war. President Trump has excelled in this devolution. Donald Trump’s top senior foreign policy advisers, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton were recently in the Middle East trying to explain the American policy, particularly on Syria, while reassuring both the Arabs and the Israelis that the US is not abandoning the region as they leave Syria,  but instead, they are only abandoning the Kurds in Syria. At the same time American military leaders voiced disagreement with and regret for President Trump’s plan to withdraw from Syria.President Trump announced on Twitter that America has defeated ISIS in Syria, which was America’s only reason for being there. Initially America went to Syria not because ISIS was there but because it wanted to remove the Syrian leader Assad because Assad is a bad guy; he was not ruling his country based on democratic rules and was not protecting the rights of minorities, such as Kurds, Alawites, and Greek Orthodox as well as Armenian Christians, so that they wanted to remove him and bring democracy to Syria, But they shifted the focus from toppling Assad to defeating ISIS. Assad is still in power, ISIS is still on its heels, Iran is still ruling Syria with its influence in Syria prevailing. Continue reading →

The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Social Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Business Institute (SETBI) College Education Behind Bars sealed its partnership with a Memorandum of agreement signed by Dr. Aland Mizell, President of Social Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Business Institute (SETBI); Catalino Cuy, Secretary of Dangerous Drug Board (DDB). “ we have commonality on purpose and aspiration for a drug free Philippines.” DDB Chair Cuy Stated.

The United States and Turkey have a long history of alliances, partnerships, and cooperation. Today, the relationship between the two countries needs to develop and grow. Through mutual values and shared interests, they need to attend to security and stability in the region, beyond fighting terrorism and extremism, as well to economic collaboration. In recent weeks, however, the United States and Turkey have escalated tensions between the two countries with President Erdogan citing the Turkish police’s arrest of an American Pastor Andrew Brunson on charges of aiding a terrorist organization and the U.S.’s imposing sanctions. President Trump issued these sanction because of Turkey’s refusal to free Brunson, knowing that he is innocent of the charges. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the United States government to exchange the Pennsylvanian based Turkish Imam, Fethullah Gulen, with Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been in jail in Turkey since 2016. According to Erdogan, Turkey has given Washington all the documents necessary for the extradition of Gulen, but the U.S. refuses instead demanding the return of the pastor who is now on house arrest after almost two years of incarceration. On September 28, Erdogan responded, “You have another pastor in your hands. Give us that pastor and we will do what we can in our judiciary system to give you this one.” The United States argues that we have a judiciary protocol not to extradite citizens or permanent residents (with Gulen being the latter) without sufficient proof of the charges, and Turkey retorts that it also has a judiciary process that sentences those charged. In Turkey’s view, the pastor they charged with terrorism who is in their hands is being tried, but the cleric in the U.S’s hands is not being tried. In Erdogan’s line of reasoning, it is easier for America to give Gulen to Ankara since he is not undergoing judicial review or sentencing and, thus, is not entangled in legal proceedings. So who is Turkey’s public enemy number one and what do we know about his organization? Continue reading →