The employment qualification in the country for minimum wage jobs would require an applicant to be at least a high school graduate. Having proof of education is an employer’s most concrete basis of an employee’s literacy.

Education can be expensive given the different circumstances people have, most especially in developing countries. This is where the ALS (Alternative Learning System) Act or Senate Bill 1365 comes in. The ALS program is made available nationwide in every city and in every municipality, giving second chances to those who want to pursue their education.

ALS has been ongoing for a long time in different public schools but it was deemed ineffective at the time. Only when the Senate institutionalized ALS did schools started to offer the program. The ALS Act will provide opportunities to those who do not have access to formal education due to various reasons such as geographical, cultural, economical, and other barriers thereof.

There are two major programs under ALS. One is the Basic Literacy Program for starters and the other one is the Continuing Education Program – Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E). Both programs are flexible which means learning can take place anytime and any place, depending on the convenience and availability of the learners.

Under the program, Community Learning Centers (CLC) will be designated in different cities and towns. Public schools may be used as well when there are no classes. Also, DepEd is given the freedom to use the most appropriate learning mode which includes, but not limited to, modular instruction, digital learning, face-to-face sessions, radio or television-based instructions, and workshops.

Graduates of the program are eligible to enroll for college and/or enroll in TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority). For the past few years, ALS has been the refuge of those who want to pursue their education at a later stage of their lives. The significant number of graduates only proves that there is no age limit to learning.