IE brings ‘hope’ through literacy at Manila City Jail

In a demonstration of service and compassion, the Far Eastern University Institute of Education (FEU IE) joined Project HOPE: Harnessing Offenders’ Personal Empowerment, an initiative dedicated to uplifting Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) through inclusive community programs. Organized by the FEU Community Extension Services, the project carried the theme, “Bringing Hope Through Inclusive Service to [PDL].”

Held last Nov. 13 at the Manila City Jail Female Dormitory, the FEU IE team led by faculty members Ian Magallano, Samantha Fabellon, and several pre-service teachers delivered a day-long basic literacy program using the Marungko Approach, a method designed to strengthen foundational reading and writing skills.

The session offered more than literacy instruction; it provided encouragement, connection, and a renewed sense of possibility for the participants. Through interactive learning activities and guided practice, PDL learners were given tools to build confidence and envision futures beyond confinement.

The literacy initiative formed part of a two-day program, with the second session of Project HOPE for Nov. 27, further strengthening FEU’s commitment to transformative, community-centered education.

“Programs like Project HOPE are significant because they show what education can do when it becomes truly accessible and humane. This initiative not only builds literacy skills, but also helps restore dignity, agency, and hope among PDLs. For many of them, learning becomes a way to reclaim their identity and strengthen their self-worth. By sending our faculty and pre-service teachers into these spaces, we embody our commitment to social justice and community partnership. Our students see firsthand that being an educator means challenging inequities and making education genuinely transformative for all,” said Fabellon.