Fulfilling Dreams Through DepEd’s Alternative Learning System

A typical morning for 19 year old Shajhana Bonso from Concepcion, Iloilo starts with preparing breakfast for her child and husband rather than preparing for school. At an early age of 17, Shajhana had to set aside her dream of having a diploma due to her pregnancy and the situation she faced early on as a teenage mother. She knew for a fact that it would be challenging for her and her husband, a motorcycle driver, to provide their child a bright future.

She believed that completing her studies is the only ticket for her to be employed and earn enough money to sustain the growing needs of her family. Regrets came every now and then for the last two years as her dream drifted away from day to day. “Ang magkaroon ng pagkakataon na makipagsabayan sa ibang estudyante sa panahon ngayon ay napakahirap. Sa mabilis na pag-unlad ng teknolohiya halos lahat ng output ay sa kompyuter at hindi ko kakayanin ang gastusin sa paaralan (Going back to school today is close to impossible. With the advancement in technology, almost all our output is done using a computer and I can’t afford to pay for school fees)” she shared.

Last December 2017, with the help of a friend, she enlisted for the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS). Since its inception, the ALS program has opened numerous opportunities for the likes of Shajhana who have limited or no access to formal basic education.

ALS educators or mobile teachers as they are popularly known bring literacy, basic education and useful knowledge to the deprived and underprivileged Filipinos. They often brave rough roads, hike mountains or cross rivers to reach far-flung communities where they teach. They dedicate their time to fulfill their mission and help their students achieve their dreams in life.

“Dito ko naranasan ang masayang samahan ng bawat learners. Isa sa mga nagustuhan ko ay ang pagtuturo ng aming guro gamit ang modernong teknolohiya kaya malaki ang pasasalamat namin sa ICT package mula sa matatabang puso ng City Savings Bank (Here I felt the joy of being in school with my co-learners. One of the things that I like is the use of modern technology by our teacher in imparting the lessons hence we are very grateful for the ICT package from the generous hearts of City Savings Bank)” mentioned Shajhana.

ADVOCATING FOR LITERACY: Shajhana Bonso from Concepcion, Iloilo, one of the many students under DepEd’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) program strives to finish basic education in the hopes of a brighter future for her and her family.

She also recalled one of the best memories she had so far in her class. “Gamit ito ay natuto ako ng basic computer sa tulong ni Ma’am Obillos na magagamit ko kapag ako ay may trabaho na. Nagkaroon din ako ng tiwala sa sarili na mag report sa harap ng klase gamit ang projector (With this I was able to learn basic computer with the help of my teacher, Ma’am Obillos, which I will be able to apply once I’m employed. I also gained self-confidence as I report and share lessons to my classmates with the use of the projector)”.

CitySavings has greatly supported DepEd’s ALS program since 2016. To date, the bank has donated technology tools comprised of more than 250 laptops, and over 240 LCD projectors as well as external hard drives and pocket wifi to more than 120 DepEd divisions. The tools hope to provide assistance to over 4,500 mobile teachers and their students across the Philippines.

On its third year of advocating for literacy, the bank has moved past inspiration into actively helping build communities where every child, parent, out of school youth has access to opportunities to elevate their lives and fulfill their dreams through education.

Shajhana is now thrilled more than ever to visit their local ALS center to learn more. She has set her mind towards getting her diploma soon and most importantly become a good role model for her child and her family.

Her story is just one of the several stories of hope. As a socially responsible organization, CitySavings will continue to focus on driving change for a better world through our corporate social responsibility (CSR) that will benefit all our stakeholders by advancing business and communities. (By Christine Otadoy and Jomes Kemuel Ibañez)