EDEL B. CARAG, Ed.D. Chief, BALS Literacy Division

Officer in Charge, Office of the Director III Bureau of Alternative Learning System

Department of Education PHILIPPINES

Republic Act 9155 mandates the Department of Education

to provide nonformal and informal education

to out-of-school children, youth and adults in the Philippines

through the Alternative Learning System

1. Nonformal Education A. Basic Literacy Program

B. Accreditation & Equivalency Program � Elementary Level � Secondary Level

2. Informal Education (Peronal interest, Community develop- ment, Skills & Livelihood, Entrepreneur- ship)

� Our Budget for 2013: DepED = P293,227,259,000.00 BALS = P411,247,000.00

� Our Workforce: 6,997 ALS Learning Facilitators (LF) � 2,713,797 learners served (2000-2012)

� 310,458 learners issued with elementary and high school diplomas through the ALS Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program since 1999

Estimation using Education Levels:

� 22.6 million out-of-school children, youth & adults (ages 11 to 64) ¡ 5.87 million belongs to ages 11 to 25

Estimation using Literacy Levels:

� 13.3 million illiterates (ages 11 to 64) ¡ 3.4 million belongs to ages 11 to 25

(Source: World Bank)

Note: Out-of-School Children 11 years old & below are also targeted and served by ALS.

�  Need-responsive Policy Issuances ¡ Implementation of the ALS Unified

Contracting Scheme (DO 77, s. 2012)   Balik-Paaralan pasa sa Out-of-School Adults   ALS Literacy Volunteer Program   BLP and A&E Programs for Indigenous Peoples

¡ Provision of Teaching Aid and Transportation Allowances to ALS Mobile Teachers and District ALS Coordinators (DO 64, s. 2012)

�  Need-responsive Policy Issuances ¡ Funding for the implementation of

Annual Search and Awarding Ceremonies for the:   Most Outstanding Education Supervisor   Most Outstanding Mobile Teacher   Most Outstanding DALSC   Most Efficient Division that Supports ALS   Most Functional CLC

*DepED Memorandum No. 70, s. 2013

�  Active Support from Stakeholders ¡ Conduct of various activities to gain

support   Advocacy and Social Mobilization Initiatives

� Printing and Distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials

� National Convention on ALS (Multi-Sectoral Partnerships for ALS)

� Forum with League of Corporate Foundations

¡ Partnership with Private Corporations   Smart Communications Incorporated   Prime Logic Corporation   Cebuana Lhuillier, among others

�  Active Support from Stakeholders ¡  Issuance of Certificates of Commendation to local ALS

Champions

�  Provision of Mobile Teacher Items �  Designation of District ALS Coordinators �  Contracting Service Providers �  Hiring of ALS Literacy Volunteers �  Downloading of Funds for various ALS programs and projects

¡  Family Basic Literacy Program ¡  ALS Mobile Library Project ¡  ALS for Differently-Abled Persons (ALS DAP) ¡  Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) in ALS ¡  Adolescent Friendly Literacy Enhancement Program (AFLEP)

� Effective implementation of ALS programs through various strategies aimed to provide greater access to Basic Education through alternative learning system, more graduates through ALS A&E, and greater chances of employability for ALS A&E test passers

� Active participation and support of stakeholders and partners in successful program implementation

� Responsive policy issuances that meet the needs of both the learning facilitators and the learners

� ALS implementors equipped with strengthened advocacy, communication and social mobilization skills

� Funding support � Provision of more Learning

Facilitators, CLCs, facilities and equipment

� Sufficient and relevant learning resources

� Integration of livelihood and employment opportunities

� Lack of interest (on the part of the OSY)

�  Abot-Alam Program (Knowledge Within Reach) ¡  In partnership with other government and non-

government agencies and organizations in the Philippines, the program aims to reach one (1) million OSYs in 2014

¡  DepED alone allocated 1.9 Billion pesos for the Abot-Alam Program

¡  Currently, intensive community mapping is being conducted to know how many OSYs are there in each barangay, where they are, why they are out-of-school and what program offerings they want to avail

¡  Program offerings for OSY reintegration include Education, Entrepreneurship and Employment

¡  Tag line: “No Filipino Youth is Left Behind”