Catanduanes State University

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE STUDIES
Virac, Catanduanes

RECOMMENDATION FOR ORAL DEFENSE

This thesis entitled “THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM

(ALS) ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY (A & E) TEST PASSERS:
SUCCESS STORIES” prepared and submitted by MARIA RITA SR.
TABLATE in partial fulfilment for the degree Master of Arts in Educational
Management is hereby submitted to the Thesis Committee for consideration.

ROSANA S. ABUNDO, Ed.D.

Adviser
_____________________
Date

SPECIALIZATION COMMITTEE

This thesis entitled “THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM

(ALS) ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY (A & E) TEST PASSERS:
SUCCESS STORIES” in partial fulfilment for the degree Master of Arts in
Educational Management is hereby recommended for oral examination.

MARIA S. TUGANO, Ed.D.

Chairman

JOSEPH G. ZAFE, Ed.D. YOLANDA M. TARIMAN, Ed.D.

Member Member

NANCY D. MAGTANGOB, Ed.D. MARIA SHEILA R. GREGORIO, Ed.D.

Member Member

ii
 Catanduanes State University
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE STUDIES
Virac, Catanduanes

RESULT OF ORAL EXAMINATION

Result of Oral Examination for MARIA RITA SR. TABLATE, candidate

for the degree Master of Arts in Educational Management.

Thesis Title : THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM (ALS)

ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY (A & E) TEST
PASSERS: SUCCESS STORIES

Date : ________________
Place : Quality Assurance Room, College of Education

This is to certify that MARIA RITA SR. TABLATE passed the Oral
Examination.

ORAL EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

JOSEPH G. ZAFE, Ed.D.

Chairman

MARIA CHARLENE A. CANTAR, Ph.D. RUFINA M. TABOR

Member Member

MARIA S. TUGANO, Ed.D.

Member/Dean

iii
 Catanduanes State University
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE STUDIES
Virac, Catanduanes

APPROVAL SHEET

Upon the recommendation of the Oral Examination Committee, this thesis

entitled “THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM (ALS)

ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY (A & E) TEST PASSERS:

SUCCESS STORIES” is hereby approved in partial fulfilment of the

requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Educational Management.

MARIA S. TUGANO, Ed.D.

Dean

LILY P. CUSTODIO, Ph.D.

Vice President for Academic Affairs

MINERVA I. MORALES, Ed.D.

SUC President III

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

The completion of this undertaking could not have been possible without

the support, participation, and assistance of the following whose expression of

support and personal impact have, in no small way, touched her soul for the

realization of this study:

Dr. Rosana S. Abundo, her adviser, for the selfless assistance,

encouragement, guidance, and direction for the completion of this undertaking;

Dr. Maria S. Tugano, Dean of the College of Education, for the excellent

support and guidance provided and for her expertise and bright ideas shared;

Dr. Maria Charlene A. Cantar and Dr. Joseph G. Zafe, panel members, for

their efforts, precious time, valuable suggestions, and ideas that contributed to the

enrichment of this study;

Mrs. Rufina M. Tabor and Mrs. Jane T. Tuplano, Education Program

Specialists II-ALS, for the countless support and for the most needed data

provided;

The Tablate family, her cousin Michael John O. Salvante, and Loraine D.

Taule, for the helping hand and time spent in sharing their talent to reach the

completion of this study;

The Librarians of the Catanduanes State University, for the kindness and

assistance;

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 The Mobile Teachers and the District ALS Coordinators, for the willingly-

given answers and warm responses during the interview;

The ALS A & E Test Passers; the most respected respondents, for their

time during the interview and for their full cooperation during the gathering of

data;

Her parents and brothers, her husband and her most treasured daughters,

for their unrestricted love, understanding, prayers, support, and inspiration; and,

Above all, The Almighty God, the author of knowledge and wisdom, for

His countless gifts, boundless love, and ceaseless guidance to make this work

possible.

- MR.SR.T.

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 DEDICATION

To

My dear parents for making me be who I am

DAVID
CHING

My supportive and loving husband

JASPER

My greatly loved daughters

AUBREY JEWEL
AYEN JARELL

My guidance and protector

TATA

for their relentless support and unconditional affection.

I love you all dearly.

-nene-

TABLE OF CONTENTS

vii
 Page
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………… i
RECOMMENDATION FOR ORAL EXAMINATION ………………... ii
RESULT OF ORAL EXAMINATION …………………………............... iii
APPROVAL SHEET …………………………………………….…… iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ……………………………………………..….. v
DEDICATION …………………………………………………………….. vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………….….. viii
LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………….. xi
LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………….. xii
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………….. xiii
CHAPTER
1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING ………………… 1
……………………………….......... 1
Background of the Study
……………………………….……. 6
Objectives of the Study
………………………………….…. 6
Scope and Delimitation
…………………………………….. 7
Importance of the Study
…………………………………….. 9
Definition of Terms

2 ……………....... 11
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
……………………………………………... 11
Related Literature
……………………………………….…….. 16
Related Studies
…...………… 25
Synthesis of the Related Literature and Studies
Gaps in the Review Bridged by the Present Study …………… 25

3 ………… 28
RESEARCH DESIGH AND METHODOLOGY
Design of the Study …………………………………….. 28
Sources of Data …………………………………….. 29
Data Gathering Procedure …………………………………….. 30
Data Analysis …………………………………….. 32

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 4 ………… 33
THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY
TEST PASSERS: SUCCESS STORIES

Personal and Professional Characteristics ………………….…. 33

Reasons for Leaving Formal education ………………….…. 35
Career Path Taken and their Present Career Status ………….. 43
Problems Encountered as an ALS student …………………... 47
Solutions and Survival Strategies ………………….…………. 49

5 …………….. 52
SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS,
AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary …………………………………………… 52
Findings …………………………………………… 52
Conclusions …………………………………………… 54
Recommendations …………………………………………… 57

REFERENCES …………………………………………………………… 60

APPENDICES …………………………………………………………… 62

A Informed Consent for Participation ………………………… 63

in a Research Interview

B Interview Guide for the Informant …………………………… 64

C Interview Guide for the Mobile Teachers …………………….. 65

and District ALS Coordinators

CURRICULUM VITAE …………………………………………………... 66

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table No. Title of Table Page

1 Sources of Data ………………………………………… 30

2 Personal and Professional ………………. 34

Characteristics

3 Reasons for Leaving Formal Education ………………... 35

4 Career Path Taken and their Present Career Status …….. 44

5 Problems Encountered as an ALS Student ……………... 48

6 Solutions and Survival Strategies ……………………… 49

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Title of Figure Page

No.

1 Conceptual Paradigm ……………………………………….. 27

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 ABSTRACT

TABLATE, MARIA RITA SR. “THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM

(ALS) ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY (A & E) TEST
PASSERS: SUCCESS STORIES” (Unpublished Master’s Thesis,
Catanduanes State University, 2017)

This study aimed to track and feature the Alternative Learning System

Accreditation and Equivalency (ALS A & E) Test Passers who graduated from

ALS during the period 2002-2015 and became successful in their chosen career

path. The study featured their lives focusing on their personal and professional

characteristics, reasons for leaving formal education, career path taken and their

present status, problems encountered as students of ALS and solutions, and their

survival strategies.

xii
 The qualitative method of research was utilized in this study.

Among the 17 successful ALS A & E Test Passers, 11 are female and 6 are

male with ages between 20-40 years old, first born child and mostly are married.

Among the twelve married female passers, six of their spouses are laborers/private

employees, one Overseas Filipino Worker, two plain housewives, one elementary

school principal, one security guard and a government employee. Their

educational attainment before they enrolled in the ALS A & E Program recorded

two elementary school graduates, three first year high school, six second year high

school, five third year high school, and one fourth year high school.
Among the reasons for leaving formal education, early pregnancy ranked

first which means this is the main reason why mostly female informants dropped-

out from their studies; Family issues/problems, financial constraints, lack of

personal interest/personal issues, and bad influence of friends ranked second,

third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

As to the career path taken by the passers and their present career status,

two of the ALS passers are employed in the Department of Education as regular

permanent ALS mobile teacher and as senior high school teacher; one LET passer

is an ALS literacy volunteer; two are licensed midwives holding

regular/permanent status in their municipality; one as nursing attendant at the

University of the Philippines; and, one as radio operator (Administrative Aide IV)

on regular/permanent status at the Police Provincial Office. One passer is a

successful businesswoman. The others are employed in private and government

offices and an Overseas Filipino Worker.

xiii
 From being an out-of-school youth (OSY), they encountered problems as

ALS students. The problems included: fear of being bullied by classmates in ALS

or by friends from formal school; cannot attend and cope with the agreed learning

schedule of their ALS class due to their work schedules; did not pass during the

first time they take the test because they lacked proper concentration on their ALS

studies.

As to their survival strategies, many of them made an agreement with their

ALS Implementers on having independent study and self-review to be able to take

the examination; some chose to borrow modules and bring them home for self-

study and self-review; some also appealed to their ALS teacher to hold their

classes in the evening. One passer whose wife was an elementary school

principal, was closely assisted and supported during his self-study and self-review,

while attending to their children at home. One passer admitted that she found

difficulties in some lessons, especially in Mathematics, so she sought help from a

friend who willingly held one-on-one tutorial sessions in the subject.

The informants expressed that the problems and pressure affected them so

their minds are divided into various concerns. These problems include early

pregnancy/marriage, poverty/financial constraints, family issues/problems, lack of

personal interest/disturbed with personal issues and bad influence of friends.

Although they explained that the pressure on their family situation, economic

status and environment factor affected and made them not to focus on their ALS

class, with their desire to finish and achieve their dreams in life, they adopted
xiv
 appropriate solutions and strategies to overcome these problems. With the help,

support and guidance of their ALS teachers, as well as close family members who

are advocates of education, they were able to survive.

The program of the Department of Education through the Alternative

Learning System was able to increase literacy as evident in the testimonials of the

successful ALS Passers. They improved their quality of living by engaging in jobs or

entrepreneurial activities that increase their financial stability and hence lived quality

life.
Support from concerned agencies therefore is needed to sustain the program

and successfully attain its objectives.

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