I learned that the 21st century teaching carries with a complicated mix of

challenges and opportunities. Challenges include the issues of teacher turnover,

accountability, changing student populations and student expectations, mounting
budget pressures, and intense demand to build students 21st century skills. While
on the opportunity side, the growing capacity, capability, and power of technologybased tools and resources give the education community the ability to address
these challenges successfully.

I realized to that, 21st Century Educator must be able to adapt the curriculum and the requirements
to teach to the curriculum in imaginative ways. They must also be able to adapt software and hardware
designed for a business model into tools utilizable by a variety of age groups and abilities. And they must
understand and apply different learning styles. And be able to adapt teaching style to be inclusive of
different modes of learning.

Executive Summary
As educational leaders, classroom teachers, students and parents
will agree, 21st century teaching carries with it a complicated mix
of challenges and opportunities. Challenges include the issues of
teacher turnover, accountability, changing student populations
and student expectations, mounting budget pressures, and intense
demand to build students 21st century skills.
On the opportunity side of the equation, the growing capacity, capability, and power
of technology-based tools and resources give the education community the ability
to
address these challenges successfully. With strategic use of 21st century learning
tools,
educational institutions can provide the supportive productive environment
educators
need to reach, teach, and support each students learning needs and potential.

The Adaptor
The 21st Century teacher is an adaptor. Harnessed as we are to an assessment focused education model
the 21st Century Educator must be able to adapt the curriculum and the requirements to teach to the
curriculum
in
imaginative
ways.
They must also be able to adapt software and hardware designed for a business model into tools
utilisable
by
a
variety
of
age
groups
and
abilities.
They must also be able to adapt to a dynamic teaching experience. When it all goes wrong in the middle
of
a
class,
when
the
technologies
fail,
the
show
must
go
on.
As an educator, we must understand and apply different learning styles. we must be able to adapt our
teaching style to be inclusive of different modes of learning.

Alternative Learning System for the Aeta Community: Equalizing Education to

Cultural Minority Groups in Lopez, Quezon, Philippines

"ALS is expected to provide solutions in areas of conflict, critical thinking, in

indigenous people communities and in areas where literacy is most wanting and
where literacy is needed."

Hon. Jesli Lapus, Secretary of Department of Educatin

The government's vision for non-formal education is revitalized and epitomized
through an Executive Order No. 358 S. 2004, rnaming and reinventing of the Bureau
of Nonformal Education to Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) whose
vision is to view the Philippines as a nation where all the citizens, especially the
marginalized individual or group of learners who could not equitably gain access to
formal education because of unwanted conditions, be given equal access to quality
education by taking an alternative learning system that will enable them to become
productive workforce and members of the land. As its mandates, ALS is propelled by
its functions to:

Address the learning needs of the marginalized groups of the population including
the deprived , depressed, and underserved citizens;

Coordinate with various agencies for skills development to enhance and ensure
continuing employability, efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness in the labor
market;

Ensure the expansion of access to educational opportunities for citizens of different

interests, capabilities demographic characteristics and socio-economic origins and
status; and

Promote certification and accreditation of alternative learning programs both formal

and informal in nature of basic education.

This mini case study focuses on the role of the ALS programs catered by the Lopez
East District ALS coordinator and its local instructional managers to address the
present needs and to delineate briefly their clienteles' way of life in the settlement
or community in Brgy. Villa Espina, Lopez, Quezon. The Aetas in Lopez, Quezon can
not be overlooked for they are already adapting to the changes in their surrounding.
Furthermore, being members of the disadvantage group of people, giving them the
opportunity to equal access to education is a priority concern of the government
being carried over by its local counterpart.
While some nongovernmental organizations also take part in aiding educational
facilities and health and sanitation service, this mini-case study highlighted only the
application of ALS in the promotion of literacy among the Aetas of Lopez, Quezon,
describing the attitude or responses of the clienteles in Aeta community toward the
realization of educational efforts starting February 2008 to the present.

This case study includes the initiatives and actions of the ALS coordinator and her
instructional managers' common experience with their clienteles and the attitude or
behavior of the Aeta clienteles toward its programs. It also includes ethnographic
account of how the usual ALS class goes on. The student-researchers were able to
validate such remarks and notes in direct observations and interview they
conducted at the Aeta clienteles and its immediate community.
Majority of the data used in this report were drawn from interview and observations
from the school site and reports of the Lopez East District Alternative Learning
System Office. On the other hand, this mini-case study had also limitations. The
researchers initially recommend that another follow or related study on the subjects
be conducted concerning on the cultural impact of this learning in an alternative
way.
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM OF LOPEZ EAST DISTRICT AND THE AETA
CLIENTELES IN BRGY. VILLA ESPINA

The Alternative Learning System Coordinator of Lopez East District who is incharged of delivering the programs of BALS to the Aeta community is Mrs. Angelina
J. Oblina. On her team are two Instructional Managers (IM) and an Aeta coordinator.
The two instructional managers are the key teachers and implementers who directly
get involved and supervised and promote ALS program to the Aeta Community. Mrs.
Mabel A. Oblina and Wilma Capistrano are the IMs, who are paid by the local
government with a monthly honorarium of P 4, 500.00 pesos each. The Aeta
coordinator is Andy Villa Franco, local villager who maintains direct contact to the
Aeta community clienteles in the absence of the IMs or the ALS coordinator.

From non-formal to ALS, it formally opened last February 2008. Through local ALS
Coordinator's initiatives of hiring local funded instructional managers and her
unquestionably commitment to its program implementation, ALS instruction to the
Aeta community begun. Since its target clienteles are the Aeta community,
encouragement and recruitment to this displaced minority was the biggest toll at
the onset.

Formerly, on her report, Mrs. Oblina was able to delineate some of its beginning
noting the following points.

Tribal groups, specifically Aetas are the deprived, depressed and undeserved
population. Their settlement can be found in a far-flung area. Uncivilized and
illiterate, only few attended formal schooling because they do not understand the
benefit that education could give to a person. On September 1, 1994, Non-Formal
Education (NFE) brought the school for the Aetas, through "Magbasa Kita Project" a
basic literacy program of the department. I was assigned to handle the class or
community of Aeta as "para-teacher" at the same time "ate" not ma'am or teacher
by the Aetas. Back then, I introduced the phono-syllabic lessons. The school was
made up of nipa that existed in Villa Espina. The enrollees of these classes are of no
age limit.
Dealing with Aetas as one of the NFE/ALS clienteles is not an easy task for me. So, I
mobilized our local system. It is indeed very challenging on our part. We had a hard
time encouraging and motivating them so that they will come to school. Convincing
them to come to school even included drinking liquor with them. Furthermore, we
use variety of ways and approaches to be able to win their interest. The school setup lasted for some years yet their ways of living have not changed despite all the
efforts exerted by their other mentors. Some still carried the old practices and do
not even own a house where they can live permanently and comfortably.
Construction of two-room building sponsored by the ABS-CBN "Tree of Hope
Program" built last year (2007) became one of the motivating factors that led the
Aetas to take ALS program. ALS program formally started from February to April
2008. Fortunately, out of more or less 50 households, Fifty-four Aetas were its first
batch of students. The group was divided into two separate classes. The first group
consisted of young Aetas for 6 to 13 years old under the tutelage of Mrs. Wilma A.
Oblina. This group is at the beginning level of instructional. The other class, under
Mrs. Wilma Capistrano comprised of the teenagers to adult consisting of 13 years
old to as old as forty-four. This group could be considered as emergent learners
progressing from the very basic level. During this grace period, meetings were done
three times a week. Instruction during those times focused mainly to basic literacy
focus, which is more on reading of the alphabet (phono-syllabic lessons), writing
(specifically writing their names) and clienteles' adjustment to alternative schooling.

Alternative Learning System programs continued starting this beginning school

year, June 2008. There was an increased enrolment. From fifty-four (54) Aetas who
enrolled last February, it escalated to seventy-four (74) this June. Out of this 74,
majority of which is female, 65% and male, 35%. Ten of which are parents and
mostly are young ones. "However, maintaining 100% attendance is the biggest
problem," the instructional managers noted. On the average, 50-60 % of the total
enrolment comes to school regularly. Consequently, the food for school program
requested by the ALS District Coordinator which the Local Government Unit (LGU)
addressed the problem of abseeteism among the Aetas. However sustaining the
program is another concern. Meetings this time are from Monday to Friday not
unlike the previous one, which is only three times.

The coordinator and instructional managers would recount that the usual or typical
day would go like this

The Aeta-clienteles would come to school in the morning. Not all students would
come early. Others were still be coming from Brgy. Pisipis and other neighboring
barangays. Some wore uniform others in their ragged cloths. A flag ceremony used
to be held at the start of the week. Then, the Aetas did housekeeping and other preroutinary activities. Basic alphabet to word reading, writing, and arithmetic activities
were provided for three hours. We would read aloud the alphabet, minimal pair
words, read short passages, and ask them to read aloud and write. Most of them get
bored easily for they had different types of learning. Most of them had usually short
span of attention so we had quick breaks from time to time.

Preparing the meal of the day was the most important for them. Since some of them
had not taken breakfast or suffer the day before. After the early morning routinary
activities, we would be preparing the meal of the day where everybody will be part.
Food is the best reward and encouragement we could offer them. Because of food
nourishment, they come to school. There was even an incident that Aeta would
come very late to school just in time for lunch. After a while or a siesta, Afternoon
session would be allotted to free and varied activities. Film viewing occupied the
most times, because of the Television set and educational package, we have
recently received from a donation all the way from Hawaii. Televiewing became a
part of the afternoon session. When the day was over, we teachers could not help
but be challenged different adjustments met so as our Aeta clienteles.

We find teaching and learning with them demanding yet very stimulating because
of some reasons:

 Some unsanitary practices of some of the Aeta clienteles are lessened. We

introduced teaching of basic sanitary hygiene. However, for customary reason few
would not heed our advice for it already became their system since they were born.
Consequently, we got use to some of their unsanitary practices but we always
address them as much as possible teaching the parent clienteles the right ways
though most of them do not care much to their children for customary reason.
Abseetism is also common problem since the approach is new for them at the
start. Looking at them from a day-to-day perspective, most of them skip school
because some work in farms by harvesting young anahaw leaves or working with
their specific "Amos", and for very apparent reason, if there are times that we don't
have food or meal of the day to offer them, we would rather have an empty room
than to have clienteles with empty stomachs.
Aetas clienteles interact with the ALS program differently. Students learning style
and mental capacity vary different from one another. Some learn smoothly. Others
need constant review. At the beginning level, it is common to see Aeta-clienteles to
misspell their names what is even the worse is that they sometimes forget their
surname or they change their names.
Few of their practices are still prevalent but mostly are dead or forgotten. One Aeta
client even shares that they could no longer remember any tribal rites taught to
them by the elders. Still, some of them wander and work from the community to
nearby barangays. They don't permanently stay in one place, except of course for
those who have learned to fit in to the local villagers. What is quite pressing for us
in relation to their ways is that an early marriage is common thing. An Aeta could
already find and live with his/her partner at the age of 12. In addition, they could
easily switch or change partner as the pair pleases. Another noticeable activity they
often engage with is drinking. Moreover, in certain occasion, a villager could get
along with most of the Aeta over bottles of liquor or any alcoholic drink and if Aetas
drink alcohol, it ends to a drinking spree. This manner somehow affects their
attitude to learning. An adult Aeta clientele could compromise going to school just
to a bottle of liquor.
Battling these all sort of things every day, we as their teachers or "Ate" as they call
us, could freely tell that we influence their lives toward the basic literacy and even
more. Most of them have already accustomed to the ways of the civilized people.
Emerging clienteles whom we have been teaching hard can already read and write
basic Filipino words, can calculate numbers so that they well not be cheated by their
"Amos" for their fair share of farm works, can practices basic sanitary hygiene from
brushing of teeth to basic housekeeping, and for some who have fitted in to the
latest technology can send short messaging service (SMS) via cellphone. The Aetas
in Brgy. Villa Espina are becoming like civilized people because of us, other local
villager's intervention, and the influences of the latest technology-stricken world.
With the programs being offered by the District, seeing ALS greater impact for the
future of the Aeta community, has a long way to go, of which the District
Coordinator and the researchers unanimously agreed upon adding that a lot of
concerns or priorities still must and should be acted promptly.

OTHER CONCERNS

"Education to be meaningful must be rooted in the community life and experience

of the people; because learning takes place in this context as well as in the way
they understand the stages of their cycle."

BALS framework

To ensure the expansion of access of educational opportunities and capability

building, the BALS national office has been training its ALS district coordinators
starting the opening year. One seminar on ALS Trends & Updates for Full Time
District ALS Coordinators impacted much the approaches of Mrs. Oblina and her
team of local counterparts. Myriad of realization was absorbed by contemplating
and living up with the BALS framework. It does require change from their usual
approaches.

Meanwhile, on a division level training, the local ALS people and some of the Aeta
representatives attended just recently this month (August 2008). They were
exposed to training framework for the Indigenous People (IP) and Indigenous People
Core Curriculum (IPCC). With the help, expertise of local indigenous people and in
coordination with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) Summer
Institutes of Linguistic (SIL) and other IP concerned agencies: the Bureau was able
to develop an Indigenous Peoples (IP) Core Curriculum. The competencies identified
by the ALS curriculum are now realized through a modular system of education that
will guide the coordinator, Instructional Managers and the Aeta clienteles to mode
and education the clienteles will receive.

Citing this remarkable interventions or realization, the following concerns and points
are noted by experts for the culturally sensitive and integrative delivery of
instruction to the IP, specifically the Aeta clienteles:

The development process not only ensured a culture-sensitive core curriculum but
also maximized local participation in all aspects of decision making and actions
relevant to the finalization of the IP Core Curriculum.

Expert on IPCC remarked that without necessarily emphasizing an overkill tone, the
highly western-entrenched current educational system has contributed to the
further marginalization and exploitation of IPs. The said system has been producing
graduates who are trained to become employees and not as entrepreneurs who can
become employers.

The Right-Based Approach (RBA) to education verbalizes these facts. Its strengths
sustainable development and the exercise of self-determination in as much as
education is supposed to be an "enabling" (for recognition and empowerment), an
"ensuring" (for protection) and an "enhancing" (for development and promotion)
tool for indigenous Peoples, their ancestral domains and their cultural integrity.

Adding the important issues mentioned, on the literature of a news article of Ina
Hernando-Malipot, available at
http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/08/18/YTCP20080818132815.html, she stressed
the study done by Dr. Jill Bevan-Brown, associate professor at Massey University in
New Zealand during the 5th International Conference on Teacher Education (ICTED)
marking that the children with special needs from ethnic minority groups can have
additional disadvantage.

In her talk entitled, "Culturally Appropriate Provisions for Children with Special
Needs from Ethnic Minority Groups: A Story of Two Maori Initiatives," Dr. Brown
mentioned that for children with special needs from ethnic minority groups, having
access to special education provisions is not a problem. In fact, in various special
education categories, they are over-represented. "However, receiving an education
that is culturally-appropriate and effective is major issue."

"Thus, we have developed two initiatives that aim to improve this situation the
teachers conducting a cultural self-review of their early childhood center or school

as part of their SpEd qualification; and the involvement of government agencies,

teachers and parents of the children," Dr. Brown revealed.

Dr. Brown finally said that in gaining education, children with special needs have
additional challenges compared to their non-disabled peers. "Similarly, children with
special needs from ethnic minority groups face challenges their disabled peers from
majority cultures do not face, these children have been dealt 'double whammy'."

The literature clearly appeals that change or innovation must be made to fit to the
educational needs of the Aeta community in Brgy. Villa Espina, Lopez, Quezon. Since
the ALS in this community is newly born, greater measures adaptive to their or Aeta
clienteles' culture which is being compromised should and must be acted upon not
only by the ALS people, but also by the LGU, the NCIP, and most of all by people
who are in control of major local resources.
IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

The following questions have become starting points to ponder. Is the ALS in Villa
Espina "enabling" its Aeta clienteles (for recognition and empowerment)? "Ensuring"
(for protection)? And "enhancing" (for development and promotion) tool for
indigenous Peoples, their ancestral domains and their cultural integrity?

Mrs. Oblina is hopeful that the modules on functional literacy that they have been
waiting to be delivered by the national office would be received at the soonest
possible time to empower the process of instruction and therefore the Aeta
clienteles. The Local Government Unit through the Municipal Mayor, Hon.Isaias
Ubana, has been planning an initiative that would give the Aeta community a place
of home and refuge where their inherit and latent cultural ways and norms will be
restored and revived. The Municipal Mayor himself has just disclosed this local
initiative to the ALS coordinator. This mode of action if achieve would ensure
protection. However, issues about ancestral domain surfaces. This is not the first
time, municipal heads before the incumbent mayor had been appealed by the Aeta
community though their local chieftain for support of their ancestral land recovery.
Unfortunately, the petition for land recovery fell to deaf ears or should the
researchers say "no clear response at the moment".

With the trainings and supports given by the national and local government units
side by side with the non-governmental sectors, the ALS Lopez East District and the
researchers envision that the ALS for the Aeta community in Lopez, Quezon on its
long-term target goals will continue to realize and realize those following plans of:

 Offering of food for school program be sustained and as time progress be replaced
by a sustainable livelihood programs which the Aeta clienteles can be trained of and
apparently leading to their independence from aids to self-sufficient and working
individual or group of the community;

Liberating the members of the Aeta community from ignorance to functionally

literate people. A functionally literate person is defined as one who can
communicate effectively, solve problems scientifically, creatively and think
critically, use resources sustainable and be productive, develop himself/herself and
his/her sense of community and expand his/her world view;

Accessing to accreditation and competency tests is given to the ALS Aeta

graduates. If the clientele is successful in the competency exam, going or
transferring to the higher formal education if he or she desires, will be
straightforward for them;

Having properly paid, equipped, and trained instructional managers.

Nationalization of the locally compensated IMs will empower them further to work
not only as a teacher but as highly committed social workers for the betterment of
the clienteles; and

Educating them not only for literacy but also for restoration of their cultural ways
as Indigenous People (IP) who have their cultural integrity and ancestral domains
creating their own cultural identity as part and parcel of the Lopez, Quezon
community and of the Filipino people.

To achieve all of these, which some are still in plans, need hand-in-hand actions
emanating both from the government and from the Aeta community. If this will be
realized, equitable access to education is now at hand to those who need and aspire
for it. Apparently, tt comes from alternative ways, if non-governmental sectors even
take part to this movement like the ABSCBN school building project for the Aeta,
and other philanthropic individual who are all genuine in their interests, the social
cultural revival and education empowerment for the Aetas will surely be
accomplished.
References and Further Readings:

Ina Hernando-Malipot news article available at

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/08/18/YTCP20080818132815.html

Executive Order No. 358 S. 2004 available at

http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/eo_no356.htm

The Indigenous Peoples Core Curriculum by Department of Education, Bureau of

Alternative Learning System (BALS) Handouts 2006

Lopez East District Alternative Learning System Initial School Reports SY 2008-2009
Acknowledgements are given to the following persons for the interviews,
observation and other data gathered of which the researchers are greatly indebted
with.

MRS. ANGELINA J. OBLINA, Lopez East District ALS Coordinator

MRS. MARIVEL A. OBLINA, Instructional Manager

MRS. WILMA S. CAPISTRANO, Instructional Manager

THIS MINI CASE STUDY, WHICH THE RESEARCHERS CONSIDERED AS LABOR OF
LOVE, IS IMPLICITLY DEDICATED TO THE AETA COMMUNITY OF BRGY. VILA ESPINA,
LOPEZ, QUEZON. MAY YOU FLOURISH AND BE NOURISHED BY THE ALTERNATIVE
LEARNING SYSTEM OF LOPEZ EAST DISTRICT.

Education office develops alternative learning modules for Aetas

4
-

AA+A
By Herbert P. Mapiles
Friday, April 27, 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO The Department of Education (DepEd) is developing modules unique for
Aetas who want to study under the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

Arnold Montemayor, who represented DepEd in a forum attended by the Aetas or members of the
indigenous cultural community in the province, said they are almost done with the formulation of ALS
modules designed for the concerned group.
He said their department is also conducting a regular basic literacy program in various indigenous
cultural communities to prepare the Aetas for the eventual community development and encourage
them to avail of the Alternative Learning System of the department.
Montemayor told the Aeta barangay councils and tribal leaders to help their respective constituents in
securing elementary and high school equivalent diplomas through ALS.
Kapag naipasa nila and ALS Accreditation and Equivalency test ay bibigyan sila ng diploma at pwede
na silang mag-college kung high school level ang naipasa (If they pass the ALS Accreditation and
Equivalency test, they will be given diploma and they can already enroll in college), he said.
ALS is a free education program implemented by DepEd under the Bureau of Alternative Learning
System, which benefits those who cannot afford formal schooling.
The program provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction, encompassing
both the non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skill.
The system was created to help people like Aetas finish the equivalent of elementary or high school in
their own time, at their own pace, and as close to their barangay as possible.