Republic of the Philippines
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2347

House Bill No.

—_—

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

—_—_
EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pursuant to paragraphs 1, 4 and 5, Section 2 of Article XIV
of the 1987 Constitution, the state shall establish, maintain, and
support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of
education relevant to the needs of the people and society and
encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning
systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school
study programs particularly those that respond to community
needs; and to provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-
school youth with training in civics, vocational efficiency, and
other skills.

However, in spite of the presence of numerous formal
educational institutions in our midst, it is common knowledge
that there are significant portions of pupils or students who
cannot finish their studies for one reason or another. Some

07 AUG 2013
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ie S{& FA

y



pupils or students are forced to dropout from school even before
they could learn to read and write mostly due to lack of resources
to defray the cost of their schooling brought by their extreme
poverty. The answer to this problem is the Alternative Learning
System or ALS that does not exclude the poor sectors or special
groups of our society in the education ladder.

Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a ladderized, module
based non-formal education program in the Philippines which
primarily caters to elementary and high school dropouts, out-of-
school youths, non-readers, working Filipinos and senior citizens
who wish to obtain education but could not avail of the formal
education system in the country. It is an alternative to the
regular classroom studies by which a student is required to
attend daily and allows the learners under it to choose schedules
according to their choice and availability.

Alternative Learning System is a program that provides
access to quality education for the Filipino people who otherwise
could not afford the same because of various economic, financial
and time constraints. As such, this program has a vital potential
to effectively improve the competency and skills of the greater
many and ultimately, contribute in the attainment, and more
efficient at that, of the State’s aim towards nation-building and
development.

Consistent with the foregoing policies and objectives,
Republic Act No. 9155 briefly mandates that:

“It is the policy of the State to protect
and promote the right of all citizens to quality
basic education and to make such education
accessible to all by providing all Filipino
children a free and compulsory education in


the elementary level and free education in the
high school level. Such education shall also
include alternative learning systems for out-
of-school youth and adult learners. It shall be
the goal of basic education to provide them
with the skills, knowledge and values they
need to become caring, self-reliant, productive
and patriotic citizens.”

The agency in charge of the ALS is the Bureau of Alternative
Learning System of the Department of Education (DepEd).
However, at present, there is no law supporting this kind of
educational mechanism. There is therefore a compelling necessity
to adopt and support an alternative system of education under
the auspices of the DepEd.

This bill is hereby being introduced to fortify and
institutionalize this Alternative learning program of the
Department of Education.

(ae

ERIC L. OLIVA



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. __2347

ee

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ
es

“AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING
SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES”

SECTION 1, Short Title. This Act shall be known as the
“Alternative Learning Act of the Philippines”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the
state to provide elementary and high school dropouts, out-of-
school youths, non-readers, working Filipinos and senior citizens
the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and competencies by
providing a system of non-formal education that is tailored to
meet their limited schedule and their incapability to attend to
traditional classroom learning experience due to time, physical,
financial, economic and other constraints.


SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. For purposes of this Act,
the following terms are used to mean as follows:

1.) Alternative Learning System (ALS) - refers
to the ladderized, modular non-formal education
program for dropouts in elementary and secondary
schools, out-of-school youths, non-readers, working
Filipinos, senior citizens, indigenous peoples, Muslim
communities, victims of armed conflicts, differently-
abled, inmates, homeless, street children, single
parents and other special groups of the same class.

2.) Applicant - an individual who is interested
in availing or enrolling to any program or course being
offered under the Alternative Learning System.

3.) Facilitator - pertains to the teachers of
literacy programs and trainers of the livelihood
programs under the Alternative Learning System,
whether paid or remunerated or volunteers duly
permitted or certified by the Department of Education
to conduct or deliver instructions.

4.) Learners ~ pertains to individuals who are
officially enrolled in any program under the
Alternative Learning System.

SECTION 4. Means of Conducting Instructions. The
Alternative Learning System shall be comprised of two different


means for conducting instructions: school-based and
community-based.

On the school-based program, instructions are conducted in
school campuses.

On the community-based program, formal instructions are
conducted in barangay hall, community halls or any other place
conducive for learning other than the school.

SECTION 5. Classification of Programs. A person who
wishes to enroll in this alternative learning system may choose to
attend either the literacy program, the livelihood program, or
both if the class schedules will so permit.

A. LITERACY PROGRAM - The literacy program
shall consist of three stages: basic, elementary and
high school.

i. Basic Education. An applicant who
has not attended any schooling at all and
does not know how to read and write shall
be automatically enrolled in the basic
education stage where he or she will be
taught to read, write and count.

ii. Preliminary Assessment _for
Elementary and High school Level. For
applicants who do not have to undergo the
basic education, an oral and written test
shall be given to them to assess their


competency and aptitude. The result of the
examination shall determine whether they
shall be admitted to the elementary or high
school level.

iii, Uniformity. The literacy program
shall follow uniform lesson modules for all
academic subjects covering the Sciences,
English, Filipino, Mathematics, Social
Studies, among others.

iv, Assessment. Learners enrolled in a
literacy program shall be given periodic
examinations to assess their
understanding of the lessons and their
overall progress. These tests shall be in
oral and/or written form and may be of
any type:

multiple choice

fill-in the blanks

matching type

essay questions

combination of any of the above.

v. Completion and Certification.
Learners who successfully completed a
literacy program (by passing the periodic
examinations and complying with other
requirements) shall be eligible to graduate
and shall take the ALS Accreditation and


Equivalency Test to entitle them of a
certificate of completion equivalent to that of
a diploma given to students under
traditional or formal schooling.

B, LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM — the livelihood
program shall pertain to courses that will equip
learners with practical skills that can be used in
everyday situations and can be utilized for purposes of
applying in jobs requiring expertise on the subject
field. Depending on the complexity of the skill or craft,
as to be determined by the Department of Education, a
relatively difficult course under this program shall
have two stages if necessary: basic training and
advanced training.

i. Basie Training. All applicants with no
background whatsoever on a specific craft or
skill but wishes to learn the same shall start
with the basic training.

ii, Advanced Training. Upon completion
of the basic training, the continuing learners
shall be admitted to the advanced level of
the same program.

tii. Uniformity. The livelihood program
shall follow a uniform general guideline if
only to ensure that the learners are more or
less improving or progressing and that the
program is completed on time, but the
facilitator shall be given reasonable freedom
or discretion on the manner or method of
teaching a certain craft, skill or expertise


and shall be given the freedom to be flexible
in terms of pacing the training for each
learmer according to the latter’s individual
ability to learn and master the craft.

iv, Assessment. Learners enrolled in a
livelihood program shall be given periodic
practical tests to assess their mastery of a
specific skill or craft and to ensure their
general progress. However, a written
examination may also be given in addition to
a practical test if the facilitator deems it
necessary in order to fully master the ins
and outs of the skill or craft.

vu Completion and Certification.
Learners who successfully completed a
livelihood program (by passing the practical
and/or written examinations and complying
with other requirements) shall be eligible to
graduate and are encouraged to take the
ALS Accreditation and Equivalency Test to
entitle them of a certificate of completion.

SECTION 6. Duration of Programs. Literacy programs shall
take up a minimum of 800 hours to ensure that the learners
enrolled therein are provided adequate and quality schooling and
training at par with the traditional educational system. On the
other hand, the period of completion of the livelihood programs
may vary depending on the complexity of the specific craft or skill
being taught and the ability of the student to learn or master the
same. :


SECTION 7. Admission to College. Learners who
successfully completed the literacy program or the livelihood
program and passed the ALS Accreditation and Equivalency Test
may be admitted to college to pursue degree courses of their own
choice provided that they pass the qualifying entrance
examinations and other requirements given by the schools.

SECTION 8. Admission of Applicants in the Alternative
Leaming Program. Any person who wishes to enroll in the
alternative learning system shall be admitted in the program
unconditionally. No learning center shall refuse the admission of
any applicant for reasons such as limited space, insufficiency of
materials, unavailability of facilitators or the like. There shall also
be no preference as to gender, religion, age or station in life.

SECTION 9. Facilitators. Each school-based of community
based learning center shall have at least one assigned teacher for
a literacy program and at least one assigned trainer for each
livelihood program, both to be officially called facilitators.

Without prejudice to the guidelines set by the Department of
Education or the Committee so delegated by the former with
respect to the qualifications of the facilitators, competent
individuals, after obtaining the necessary permit or certification
from the abovementioned department, may volunteer to teach
cither of the two programs even if they are not licensed teachers.

Except for justifiable reasons, said volunteers, once
permitted to teach a certain course, shall be obliged to perform
their task for the duration of the semester so as to ensure the
completion of the program by the learners and avoid unnecessary
interruptions that will hamper their learning.



SECTION 10. Delivery of Instructions. Instruction and
manuals shall be provided by government-paid facilitators,
accredited volunteers or by private non-government organization.

SECTION 11. Unlawful fees. It shall be unlawful for any
learning center, and any officer or facilitator thereof, to solicit or
quire the payment of admission, enrollment and other kinds of
from any interested applicant as a requisite for admission.

SECTION 12. Establishment of Community Based Learning
Centers in every Barangay. There shall be at least one
community-based learning center in every barangay of a city or
municipality. These community learning centers can be set-up in
a barangay hall, any public building, or any other available and
vacant space in the area conducive for learning.

SECTION 13. Bureau of Alternative Learning System. There
shall be a Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) under
the Department of Education which shall exercise general
supervision and administration over the Alternative Learning
System.

Subject to the control and supervision of the Secretary of
the DepEd, the BALS shall have the overall authority to set,
promulgate and implement the detailed rules, guidelines, terms,
conditions, qualifications and regulations pertaining to the
Alternative Learning System consistent with the provision of this
Act.

‘The DepED through the BALS may delegate or assign the
implementation of a module program of Alternative Learning
System to a private non-government organization subject to the
supervision of the said department.


SECTION 14. Information Dissemination. The DepEd
through the BALS in coordination with the Department of Interior
and Local Government (DILG) shall conduct a massive
information campaign to enable the general public know the
existence of the Alternative Learning Program.

Every local government unit shall inform its constituents of
the availability of a community-ba and/or school-based
alternative learning system in each barangay (1) by posting
bulletins and announcements in conspicuous places like
barangay halls, public markets and/or streets that will reach a
large group of underprivileged constituents and other special
groups; (2) by making public announcements regarding such
matter during barangay assemblies or any other public
gatherings; and (3) in any other manner that the respective local
government unit may deem proper and effective in making the
general public aware of the existence of such program.

SECTION 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The
Department of Education (DepEd) shall promulgate the
implementing rules and regulations for the effective and
immediate implementation of this Act.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, executive
orders, letters of instructions, rules and regulations or parts
thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed,
amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Separability Clause. If any provision of this
Act is judicially declared invalid or unconstitutional, the



remaining provisions of this Act not affected thereby shall be
continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 18. 2ffectivity Clause, This act shall take effe
fifteen (15) days following its publication in two (2) newspapers of
general circulation.

Approved,