Leyte officials laud Standard Chartered Bank’s aid to inmate-students

LEYTE. Leyte Regional Prison Corrections Senior Superintendent Geraldo Aro gives a wooden carved horse to Mai Sangalang, the Philippines head of Corporate Affairs/Brand and Marketing of Standard Chartered Bank for their support to the education of inmate-learners. (Ronald O. Reyes)
LEYTE. Leyte Regional Prison Corrections Senior Superintendent Geraldo Aro gives a wooden carved horse to Mai Sangalang, the Philippines head of Corporate Affairs/Brand and Marketing of Standard Chartered Bank for their support to the education of inmate-learners. (Ronald O. Reyes)

LEYTE Division education officials and corrections officers of the Leyte Regional Prison on Saturday, June 23, expressed appreciation to the “package of surprises” by the Standard Chartered Bank to the 63 inmate-learners inside the correctional facility in Abuyog, Leyte.

“We really have to thank God every day for this program. As we continue to search for partners in the operation of our senior high school to the persons deprived of liberty, we’re happy to have the support of the Standard Chartered Bank,” said Edgar Tenasas, the Leyte assistant schools division superintendent.

Tenasas, who first conceptualized on the offering of the program to the selected PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) on June 4 after they graduated from the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program last April, thanked the employees of the Standard Chartered Bank led by Mai Sangalang, the Philippines head of Corporate Affairs/Brand and Marketing, for spending their time and money in support to the education of the PDLs.

Standard Chartered Bank employees donated and delivered personally school bags, shoes, socks, laptops, and computers for the 63 inmate-students of the first senior high school program.

Leyte Regional Prison Corrections Senior Superintendent Geraldo Aro also lauded the bank employees for their efforts, saying the prison facility needs all the help from various sectors to fulfill their mandate in rehabilitating the PDLs.

“We started from scratch here. We’re always thankful of your help,” Aro said.

In his speech, he urged the inmate-learners to do their best in their studies for the benefit of their respective families and communities.

“If you’re serious with your studies here, it will have a multiplier effect. Your families will not be worried about your situation and you will become productive citizens upon your release,” he added.

Sangalang emphasized that their coming to the regional prison facility is a matter of “divine providence,” adding it is just but right for them to arrive in the said place, as it is part of their service to the community.

“We didn’t think twice about helping you. If there is one message that we would like to give you, it is the message of hope. Even though you’re here, don’t lose hope,” Sangalang told the PDLs while holding back her tears.

She also acknowledged the enthusiasm of the PDLs in their classes.

Meanwhile, Leyte schools division superintendent Ronelo Al Firmo said the opening of senior high school inside the regional prison facility is part of his administration’s mission of providing access to education for the secondary students in the province due to its low participation rate and high drop-out rate, which he found out when he assumed office in 2013.

“We started to put up high schools around Leyte. We’ve been working silently, and up to this time, we’ve learned that we already established over 30 high schools. When Tenasas presented the proposal to open a senior high school in Leyte Regional Prison, I immediately gave my go signal,” Firmo recalled on how the senior high school inside the prison facility was realized.

Earlier, Tenasas said that their new program also got the nod from Leyte Third Congressional District Representative Vicente Veloso, who has allocated P26.7 million for the construction of six classrooms two-story building, a big gymnasium, a library and computer laboratory inside the correctional facility.

He said the senior high program is a “special class” of the Hampipila National High School in Abuyog headed by Principal Orlando Cabantoc and with the assistance of other district education supervisors.

According to Tenasas, he would like to see the inmate-learners becoming “virtual workers” like encoders or transcriptionists, noting that majority of the public found difficulty in accepting former PDLs in the workplaces.

He said they are still looking for more partners who will offer college programs to the PDLs upon their graduation in the senior high. (SunStar Philippines)

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