On 12 July 2015, 57 learners graduated from the Alternative Learning System (ALS) at the Department of Education (DepEd) Division office, Ligao City. One of them is the 61-year old mother of five and a resident of Barangay Ranao-Ranao, Lilia L. Nepomuceno.
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| 61-year old Lilia L. Nepomuceno finally receives her high school diploma with her husband. |
A mother’s dream
“Narito ang isang ina na minsang naghangad ng sariling diploma, [Here is a mother who once dreamed of having her own diploma]” said Nepomuceno during the graduation ceremony. Nepomuceno have always dreamed of having her own high school diploma but due to poverty she was forced to leave her second year in high school and work as house help in Metro Manila. In 2007, Nepomuceno heard about the ALS program but felt hesitant to join the program. Then finally on January 2014, she joined ALS.
Despite her and her husband’s lack of resources to finish secondary level education, they were able to give their children full support to finish school. Their five children have successfully reached tertiary level education with bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, nursing, commerce, and education. Seeing her children achieve and settled with good education, Nepomuceno decided to finally reach her lifelong dream of achieving a high school diploma through the ALS program.
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| 57
graduates received their diploma on 12 July 2015 for finishing the Alternative
Learning System (ALS) program and passing the Accreditation and Equivalency (A
& E) Examination on 14 December 2015. With them are Ligao Women’s Club
President and former Ligao City Mayor Linda P. Gonzalez (6th from
left), Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua (7th from left),
Assistant Schools Div. Superintendent Ma. Luisa P. Samaniego (center), city
councilors, schools division supervisors, faculties, and local officials.Photo courtesy of City Government of Ligao |
Nepomuceno, like her fellow graduates of ALS, passed the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Examination held last 14 December 2014. They all received a certificate signed by the highest official of DepEd, Secretary Armin Luistro.
When asked about her plans after graduation, Nepomuceno said that she might help in the barangay as her way of giving back to the community.
Age does not matter
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| Fe J. Pradia (left) graduated from ALS with flying colors. |
Aside from Nepomuceno, Fe J. Pradia a 54-year old resident of Ranao-Ranao, Ligao City also found a turning point of her life when she met Lorna Besin, a Literacy Volunteer in East District.
Pradia is a native of Leyte. Like Nepomuceno, she did not finish high school due to lack of resources. She also took a job as house help to make ends meet. In 1994, she settled down with her husband in Ligao City.
When Besin went to her house to talk about the ALS program, Pradia was hesitant to join the program because she was conscious about her age. Besin told her, “walang matanda o bata dito [age does not matter here].”
Pradia did not only finish the program with good standing but with flying colors. She was awarded with Best in Math and Science, and Best in Sustainable Use of Resources/Productivity.
Pradia plans to take vocational course in culinary to improve her skills which she can use to improve their food vending business.
Towards “Zero Out-of-School Adults”
ALS has changed the lives of many out-of-school youths and adults. Like Nepomuceno and Pradia, many were deprived with formal education due to lack of resources. However, poverty did not hinder them to realize and achieve their goals no matter how old they are.
As Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua said in her speech, poverty should not hinder people in learning. Those who are born from poor families should not die in poverty, and that poverty should not be for lifetime. Every person holds his own fortune.
The 57 graduates were only among the hundreds of people who reaped the benefits of ALS. Most of the ALS graduates pursued a college degree and became professionals.
ALS is a program of DepEd that gives the marginalized people an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills by bringing education closer to their homes. It aims to target the “zero out-of-school adults” to which the graduation ceremony theme, “Walang kabataang Pilipinong maiiwan [No Filipino youth will be left behind]” was anchored.
Former Ligao City Mayor Linda P. Gonzalez also urged the graduates to spread the word, to inform other out-of-school youths and adults about the beauty of ALS.
The local government, non-government organizations, and other government agencies are partnering to develop and implement programs for the marginalized and underserved communities. In the previous months, Ligao City held graduation ceremonies for the first batch of dressmakers who passed and received a National Certificate II in Dressmaking, and for the 100 farmers who finished a season-long training in organic vegetable production. Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez is also making a major contribution to improve the learning experience of out-of-school adults. He has donated laptops and projectors to help the learners experience e-learning.
Written by Lala Peñafiel
