ABSTRACT
Project Talinghaga is a ten-day literacy and values-oriented intervention for Alternative Learning System learners who are Persons Deprived of Liberty at the City Jail of Malolos. It combines reading and writing activities with storytelling, metaphorical analysis, reflection, and creative expression. This qualitative phenomenological study examined how participants understood the program’s contribution to literacy, spirituality, personal development, resilience, and rehabilitation.
Ten ALS-PDL participants were purposively selected for in-depth inquiry from the larger group enrolled in the project. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus-group discussion, observation, and review of participant outputs. The responses were coded and organized into recurring themes.
Findings showed perceived gains in reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, and confidence in self-expression. Participants also described spirituality as self-reflection, forgiveness, inner peace, and renewed purpose. Storytelling and metaphor helped them relate lessons to their own lives, while writing and drawing provided safe ways to communicate difficult experiences. These combined effects supported hope, emotional regulation, resilience, and a stronger belief in personal change.
The study concludes that literacy instruction becomes more meaningful for incarcerated learners when academic learning is connected with reflection and creative expression. Continued implementation should include structured monitoring, stronger post-program support, and careful assessment of literacy outcomes.
Keywords: Project Talinghaga, literacy development, spiritual growth, Alternative Learning System, Persons Deprived of Liberty, rehabilitation
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE
ALS learners in correctional settings often have interrupted schooling, uneven literacy skills, and limited access to sustained learning opportunities. Confinement may also intensify isolation, regret, anxiety, and uncertainty about the future. A useful intervention in this context must therefore respond not only to academic needs but also to participants’ need for meaning, dignity, and constructive self-expression.
Project Talinghaga addresses these concerns by using stories, metaphors, reflective dialogue, writing, and art as pathways to learning. The approach treats literacy as more than decoding text. Learners interpret ideas, connect lessons with lived experience, organize thoughts, and communicate personal insights. Spiritual development is likewise understood broadly as reflection on values, choices, relationships, responsibility, forgiveness, and purpose.
The program is grounded in the view that literacy and spirituality can reinforce each other. Reading a story invites interpretation; metaphor encourages deeper analysis; writing supports emotional processing; and discussion allows participants to reconsider their choices. Together, these activities may strengthen both communication skills and readiness for rehabilitation.
The study focused on the participants’ lived experiences rather than making a causal claim. Its value lies in showing how learners perceived the intervention and which features they considered most meaningful. These insights can guide the refinement of educational programming for PDLs and support more humane, learner-centered rehabilitation practices.
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