Tanglaw Pag-asa juveniles in Bulacan to see a brighter future through digital education

CITY OF MALOLOS- Juvenile delinquents or minors facing offenses and are presently being reformed at the “Tanglaw Pag-asa Juvenile Center” in this city will soon be introduced to a new mode of educational training that will train them on information technology.

Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado announced that the juvenile reform facility will soon have four brand new computer units as part of the training program.

Alvarado said the computer units will be a big help to the juveniles of Tanglaw Pag-asa because they will now have the opportunity to learn and become productive citizens.

He also disclosed that the Provincial Government of Bulacan, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) , will also be launching the program E-dalaw in the near future.

Aside from helping the young offenders at the Juvenile center become computer proficient, the E-dalaw will help them reconnect to their families outside the Juvenile Center.

“Due to circumstances such as distance, family members are unable to visit their loved ones and homesickness strike. Through Electronic dalaw or E-dalaw, it will help families visit the minors through the use of the internet but internet usage will be strictly monitored for security reasons,” Jaymark Chico, head of the Tanglaw Pag-asa, said.

The four computers were donated by Mr. Roderick M. Magpili, Officer-in-Charge of Bayan Telecommunications, Inc. (BayanTel)-IT Division and Mrs. Maricar G. Magpili, Provincial Team Leader of Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), in cooperation with Director Cheryl C. Ortega of DICT Field Operation Office Luzon Cluster 2, as part of the program Tech4Ed which is set to start during the last week of March this year.

Tech4Ed which stands for Technology for Education aims to help members of the society especially those in the marginal sector have new opportunities in terms of education, business and employment. The program will use the Information and Communication Technology as the medium of training.

The minors at the Juvenile Center will receive online lessons through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) which was digitalized with the help of the DICT. Volunteer teachers from Bulacan State University, Bulacan Polytechnic College and DepEd Mobile Teachers will also be giving supplementary online lessons under the ALS program.

Tanglaw Pag-asa is a rehabilitation center for children in conflict with the law which aims to give psychosocial and therapeutic programs which includes peer enrichment, livelihood programs, basic education, spiritual formation and post-release programs such as parent education and home counseling.

Currently, the Tanglaw Pag-asa houses 123 residents with ages ranging from 15 to 26 years old.