ALS Links One's Hope

Villanueva

The first closing exercises of 101 graduates of Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education, Division of La Carlota City was held yesterday afternoon in the covered court of La Carlota South Elementary School 1 with the Administrative V officer, Ruth F. Villanueva as the guest inspirational speaker.

Meanwhile, Avelino N. Santillan, ALS Education Supervisor of the Division of La Carlota City opened up the simple First Closing Exercises of ALS with his informative remarks.

He said the Alternative Learning System of the DepED "nakadugtong sa inyong naputol na pangarap" (links your shattered dreams in life.) This system of learning covers the Basic Literacy (BL), Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E), and Balik-Paaralan Para sa Out-of-School Adults (BPOSA) programs.

Santillan said the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) implements two major nonformal education programs such as the Basic Literacy Program (BLP), and the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program.

The BLP aims at eradicating illiteracy among out-of-school youth (OSY) by developing basic literacy skills of reading, writing and numeracy. While A&E aims at providing an alternative pathway of learning for out-of-school youth and adults who are basically literate but who have not complete the 10 years of basic mandated by the Philippine Constitution. Thus, he said school dropouts are able to complete elementary and high school education outside the formal school system.

These two program are delivered through a contracting scheme with qualified education service providers with the use of government funds.

While Ruth F. Villanueva, Administrative V of Division of La Carlota City inspired the graduates through an analogy of a water bearer who used two pots to supply water to his Master's house. However, one pot is leaking. Every time they did their job, the whole pot keeps on blaming the leaking pot for it holds few water when they reach their master's house. But to the dismay of the whole pot, the leaked water that is sprinkled along the way benefited the growing flowers along the side of the way to their master's house. Those flowers were blooming and they looked beautiful.

Villanueva said to the graduates the moral lesson of this analogy for your is that everyone has his own life story, has his own path to tread, has his own destiny to fulfill, and has his own fate to realize. She said everyone has a purpose in life. Whatever it is just believe in God who will guide and direct you in realizing your dreams in life. To the parents, she said that they be glad. Be happy and be supportive to their children. Congratulations!

Out of 101 graduates, 16 are in elementary and 85 are in secondary levels. They received a certificate of completion duly signed by the Secretary of Education, Bro. Armin B. Luistro.