Panabo City – A delegation from Urdaneta City University (UCU), in partnership with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) – Urdaneta City District Jail, engaged with the team behind the College Education Behind Bars (CEBB) program at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm through a virtual meeting on August 12, 2025. The CEBB is a collaborative initiative between Davao del Norte State College (DNSC), the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and the Social Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Business Institute (SETBI).
The UCU delegation, led by Dr. Sonny Soriano, Director for External Affairs and Linkages, along with officials from BJMP Urdaneta, explored the possibility of establishing a similar program in Pangasinan, providing higher education access for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
The visit aimed to glean insights on best practices and institutional mechanisms in implementing the CEBB program, including program orientation, academic operations, CHED compliance, MOUs, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring and evaluation processes.
Facilitating the benchmarking activity were Florie Ann L. Fermil, Dean of the Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Good Governance, Rolando Jr. P. Bansag, CEBB Coordinator, Bryan L. Macarayo, faculty member from the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship program, and Atty. Susan Cariaga, SETBI Co-Founder and Vice President.
The meeting stands as a testament to the increasing commitment of academic institutions to foster inclusive, rehabilitative, and transformative education, particularly for marginalized communities.
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