LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The learners of the different Community Learning Centers (CLC) of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) here flaunted impressive skills and talents during the district wide recent celebration of the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa with the national theme, “Filipino, Wikang Mapagbago”.
Contested activities were slogan, poster-making, solo singing and “sabayang pagbasa” or choral reading with the following respective panel of judges: Tito Bestre, Mrs. Rose Anapen, both from the schools division office of Benguet; barangays Pico and Puguis councilors, Virginia Fianza and Robert Nicer. Slogan was topped by Violy Bosque followed by Daryl Marcos and Nimra Toctocan; Ivy Saturnino crushed the other contenders in poster-making with Jacquiline Musni and Bill Christian Atiteo ranking 2nd and 3rd, correspondingly. On the other hand, the solo singing participants were slammed by Melody Belardo’s nightingale voice whereas two of the teams of La Trinidad- (CLC) grabbed the 1st and 3rd place in “sabayang pagbasa” or choral reading while the 2nd place went to the group of Wangal-CLC.
In the message of the ALS-Education Program Supervisor Tito C. Bestre, he expounded on the relevance of the theme in the life of the learners. He beamed with pride seeing the dropouts from the formal elementary and secondary schools doing well in the ALS program of the Department of Education. “Truly, when learners are given strategic interventions parallel to their needs, they will excel beyond expectations,” Bestre said. Informal interviews done revealed that several of the learners had painful and unfavourable life experiences they were not able to cope with, but that they gradually regained healthy self-esteem with the help of the ALS program thus, can perform well in front of a crowd with confidence, with a lot still to improve.
“There are several formal school leavers year-round, and as ALS implementers, we don’t give up on them. We keep mapping and helping them complete their basic education at the same time provide developmental opportunities like this so their potentials can be uncovered. Further, we continue extending basic literacy skills on reading, writing and numeracy to those who are unable to avail of the formal school system so that to a certain extent, they will be liberated from the crippling tentacles of ignorance,” said Rose Anapen, Education Program Specialist, to the ALS implementers.
Similarly, Michael Tamiray, District ALS Coordinator of La Trinidad, encouraged all his colleagues to hold onto the essence of positive teamwork amidst individual differences because it is one of the major keys in attaining success in all undertakings. He shared Ken Blanchard’s famous quote, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
By Ursula Manodon Dalay-on
