People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Non-Formal and Adult Education in the Philippines Cooperation amidst Diversity Ramon G. Mapa PILCD July 27, 2010

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development PILCD is a non government organization working on community-based adult education It is based in Baguio City – Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) A member of the Asia Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) Board Secretary of the Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-Net Philippines) Member and convenor of the NGO Consultative Assembly of the Governments National Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) Member of the Regional Literacy Coordinating Council - (CAR) Long term partner of dvv international in the Philippines

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development The Philippines The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a geographic area of 299,764 square kilometres. The country is divided into three geographical areas: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. There are 17 regions, 81 provinces, 136 cities, 1,494 municipalities and 41,995 barangays, the basic unit of the Philippine political system. The country has some 80 major ethno-linguistic groups and more than 500 dialects spoken. Filipino and English are the official languages. Population is 88,574,614 as of August 2007

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Philippine Education System Schools are classified into public (government) or private (non-government). The general pattern of formal education follows four stages: Pre-primary level (nursery and kindergarten) offered in most private schools; six years of primary or elementary education, followed by four years of secondary or high school education. College education usually takes four years or more depending on the type of course. Tri-Focalized System of Education: 1.Basic Education by the Department of Education 2.Technical and vocational education by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) 3.Higher Education by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Non-Formal and Adult Education in the Philippines: Cooperation amidst Diversity The 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) showed that: out of an estimated 58 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 years old, around 9 million are functionally illiterate or unable to compute and lacked certain numeracy skills. The Survey likewise indicated that one in every 10 Filipinos aged 6 years and over had no formal education.

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Non-Formal and Adult Education in the Philippines: Cooperation amidst Diversity National Government Programs 1.Alternative Learning System Program of the Department of Education through its Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) 2.Technical and Vocational Education through TESDA 3.Through extension programs of Government Departments (e.g. Department of Agriculture, Department of Health) Local Government Unit Programs through its Departments (e.g. Municipal Social Welfare Office, Municipal Health Office) Non Government Organizations Alternative and Community-based Education Programs implemented in various themes and from varied contexts – democracy, governance, empowerment, participation, women’s rights, environment, livelihood, etc. Some are education programs in its own right and majority are part or a component of a larger community development intervention program. The term “alternative learning practices” evolved from the practice of civil society and non- government sector advocating for an alternative agenda of people empowerment and social transformation.

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Non-Formal and Adult Education in the Philippines: Cooperation amidst Diversity Areas of Government and non-Government Cooperation Literacy Coordinating Councils (LCC) The LCC is an inter-agency body that focuses on policy formulation and advocacy in the promotion and implementation of literacy programs. NGO’s are part of the LCC Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) Formerly named as the Bureau of Non Formal Education (BNFE), BALs is taking the lead in the implementation of the Basic Literacy Program and the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program through its Alternative Learning system Program Local Government Units Thematic programs on health, youth, agriculture etc. under its department office such as the mucicpal social welfare and development office, etc.

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Community-based Alternative Learning & Development Programme started in 2003 in cooperation with dvv international Primarily, the program provides adults and youth in remote and poor rural communities who have limited or no experience of education, with alternative learning opportunities to enhance their literacy skills; Target groups are adults and youths who were marginalized from the mainstream education mainly due to poverty and isolation; implemented in the province of Benguet - a mountainous area and is one of the six provinces under the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). It is home to various Indigenous People’s tribes collectively known as Igorots.

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development The program aims to: Enhance the levels of literacy among marginalized and vulnerable individuals and social groups/communities; Use literacy skills development as an instrument of poverty alleviation, sustainable community development and environmental protection; Enhance the capacity of marginalized communities to engage in sustainable livelihood activities including agricultural production; promote community self-organization; and Empower marginalized communities and vulnerable groups and individuals to participate actively in socio- political civic life. Community-based Alternative Learning & Development Programme

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Innovative Features Literacy is integrated with the development of skills and capacities of learners to engage in self-help and collective socio-economic activities, such as managing income-generating projects and initiating community actions that address common challenges. The program uses the “action-reflection” approach using group- based methodologies of the ADIDS model (Activity-Discussion- Input- Deepening-Synthesis). An approach similar to REFLECT Learning activities ranges from the traditional lecture discussion with multimedia presentations to group based activities, modular-based learning, field demonstrations, games and creative arts taking into consideration the participants learning styles and contexts. A significant approach being employed is the “action learning model” where learning by doing dominates the over-all learning process. In this approach, participants are engaged in simulated or actual project activities where they take part in the over-all project development process. Community-based Alternative Learning & Development Programme

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Partnerships Coordination and cooperation with government departments, state university and NGOs involved in community development activities. Provincial and local government units especially with their respective Literacy Coordinating Councils for purposes of advocacy; the Social Welfare and Development Office especially in the case of the out of school youths in high risk situations; the Regional and local offices of the Department of Education through their Bureau of Alternative Learning System in the Alternative Learning Contracting Scheme; Benguet Sate University on the Sustainable Agriculture Education; and local offices of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on technical-vocational trainings Establishing linkages with other NGO’s and agencies for the farmers and women self-help groups to expand network of support for their community projects i.e. farmers group linked with Organic Producers Cooperative in the capital town, women self-helped linked with the Australian Embassy’s Direct Aid Program Community-based Alternative Learning & Development Programme

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development The program is anchored on five key learning areas: 1.Literacy and numeracy - basic and functional; 2.Life skills – interpersonal and intrapersonal skills; 3.Livelihood and productivity; 4.Critical thinking; and 5.Development perspectives - local and global. These 5 learning areas are integrated in three major themes: (1)Basic and Functional Literacy (2)Capacity Development of Self-Help Groups (3)Sustainable Agriculture Education Learning themes are defined based on the target learners and the community’s needs Community-based Alternative Learning & Development Programme

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development From 2004 to 2009, 258 learners have passed the national A&E test and have been certified as high school graduates. Others have managed to secure formal employment and some continue to take up college education through self-support and with the help of their families and relatives. Many of these out of school youths after completing the program are actively involved with PILCD’s advocacy and campaign activities on literacy and education for all (EFA). The program has had a significant impact economic empowerment and the improvement of quality of life – installation of water system project; micro-livelihood project and conversion to organic farming practices. The program recently won the 2010 EAEA Grundtvig Award for Project Outside Europe Category Community-based Alternative Learning & Development Programme

People’s Initiative for Learning & Community Development Mainstream public schools, even in the best of circumstances, are largely unable to meet these educational needs even as effective non- schooling methodologies for meeting these different needs rapidly developed. Thus, the country now aspires to evolving an alternative learning system (alternative and complementary to schools) that is organized and governed in order to provide choices for learning not just as a remedy for school failure but as an addition even to good schools. “The emergence of the transformation of existing non- formal and informal learning options into a truly viable alternative learning system” Source: Philippine EFA Plan The Challenge Ahead