By: Keziah Nicole Fernandez
On November 10–12, 2025, Dr. Jevilyn P. Madalang, a faculty member of the University of the Cordilleras – College of Criminal Justice Education (UC-CCJE) and an alumna of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), played a pivotal role in the D.A.L.A.N (Digital Access for Learning and Networking) Sa Magayad Project. D.A.L.A.N is a community-driven digital hub project designed to bridge learning and livelihood opportunities for remote communities with unpaved roads in the Philippines. This initiative supports SDG 4 (Quality Education), by focusing on ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all.
Furthermore, Dr. Madalang was one of the four members spearheading the D.A.LA.N project, where she served as a resource speaker in Magayad, Cagayan de Oro, delivering the lecture CYBERSAFE: Building Digital Literacy Through Cybercrime Awareness. Her sessions were designed to equip Lumad learners, out-of-school youths, and teachers with essential skills for the modern world.
As an alumna of the YSEALI Women’s Leadership Academy, funded by the U.S. Mission to ASEAN, Dr. Madalang shared her expertise to promote safe digital practices and cybercrime awareness. Her lecture focused on helping learners recognize online threats, understand cybercrimes, and use social media responsibly. This effort to boost digital literacy and self-protection is critical, as the Magayad community faces significant digital challenges, including limited connectivity and unstable electricity, which inhibit the use of digital tools.
UC-CCJE’s Dr. Jevilyn Madalang Delivers the lecture: CYBERSAFE: Building Digital Literacy Through Cybercrime Awareness
The team’s immersion revealed persistent barriers to equitable education, including multi-grade classrooms, unstable electricity, difficult access roads, and limited digital connectivity. Teachers often remain on-site from Monday to Friday due to the distance, relying more on personal dedication than adequate institutional support. These challenges highlight long-standing educational and digital inequalities that require sustained government attention.
Dr. Jevilyn Madalang throughout the lecture in Magayad Integrated School
By leading these sessions, Dr. Madalang’s involvement reinforced the project’s goal of digital empowerment and bridging educational gaps for indigenous learners in remote areas. The project sought to address the pressing issues of educational and digital inequality, thereby also supporting SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by emphasizing the urgent need for equitable access and sustained support for underserved communities. The experience serves as a crucial foundation for future collaborations and policy-oriented efforts toward truly equitable education.
