Sec. Lapus hit the right person in his speech

Secretary Jesli Lapus recently urged members of the Liga ng mga Barangay – Quezon Chapter to contribute to DepEd's efforts to reach out to more out of school learners and achieve the national government's goal of making education for all a reality.

"The country's economic future rests on the caliber of our current crop of students – they will comprise the country's labor force until 2060, and this is why we need to heavily invest in public education – both formal and non-formal," said Lapus.

He cited People's Champ Manny Pacquiao as a champion not only of boxing, but also of alternative education. "In spite of his achievements in sports, Manny still saw the need to finish high school. That's why he took the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Exam by DepEd to acquire a high school diploma and pursue college. Pacquiao is taking up a business degree at the Notre Dame of Dadiangas in General Santos City and is doing well," added Lapus.

The A&E Exam is open to all out-of-school youth who wish to pursue higher education or enter the world of work. DepEd administers it twice a year.

There are many ways by which barangays can help. They can pay the honorarium of alternative
learning teachers, or provide community learning centers where out of school youth and adults can take alternative modes of learning.

Barangay officials can also provide transportation for mobile teachers. Meanwhile, the
Sangguniang Kabataan can do their share by encouraging OSY learners to join alternative learning classes.

In the absence of a mobile teacher in a community, barangay officials can identify potential alternative education facilitators in the barangay who can be trained by DepEd. The barangay can also shoulder the cost for the reproduction of learning modules used in alternative learning system.

Some 1,150 barangay officials in 41 municipalities attended the conference held at the El Centro Convention Center in Subic