EDUCATUM – Journal of Social Science (EJOSS), Vol.7 No.

1, 2021
ISSN 2289-9391 / eISSN 2462-2443 (19-29)

The implementation of Alternative Learning System in public schools

in Isabela, Philippines
Vernaliza S. Baccal1, Rashid Ceazar G. Ormilla2

1
Faculty, Department of Education, Isabela, Philippines
2
Chairperson, BEEd Program, College of Education, Ifugao State University-Potia Campus,
Philippines
*e-mail: ormillarashidceazar@[Link]

Received: 18 August 2020; Accepted: 17 December 2020; Published: 02 January 2021

To cite this article (APA): Baccal, V. S., & Ormilla, R. C. G. (2021). The implementation of Alternative
Learning System in public schools in Isabela, Philippines. EDUCATUM Journal of Social Sciences, 7(1), 19-29.
[Link]

To link to this article: [Link]

Abstract

The main purpose of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) is to eradicate illiteracy among out of school
children, youths and adults who are school dropouts and to those who are deprived of education in order to
complete elementary and secondary education outside the formal school system. Thus, this study was designed
to determine the level of implementation of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the Schools Division of
Isabela. It utilized the descriptive-correlational method involving fourteen (14) districts. The main instrument for
data collection is the survey questionnaire while weighted mean, Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis
Htest were carried out to answer the research objectives of the study. Results of the study showed that
implementation of ALS program in public schools in the Division of Isabela are commendable. They perceived
the implementation of ALS program generally as very good. The data showed that majority of them revealed
that relevance of instructional materials use during ALS sessions was outstanding. They affirmed that facilities
and equipment were always available, enough, relevant, with quality, accessible and safe in the learning centers.
They also perceived that financial resources appropriation, availability, and sufficiency exist in the ALS program
implementation. Moreover, majority of the respondents revealed that establishing linkages, participation of
stakeholders such as parents and government officials and attitude of ALS implementers were very good. There
are significant differences in some areas of the factors in the implementation of Alternative Learning System. On
the basis of the results of the study, it is then recommended that ALS Implementers consistently build and
maintain positive working relationship with the barangay officials and other stakeholders to win their full
cooperation in the implementation of the ALS programs and projects. Furthermore, the learners are advised to be
guided accordingly and comply with the regular attendance as scheduled by the assigned ALS implementer in
the ALS centers, and other linkages and partners may work hand and hand to extend financial support as needed
in the implementation of the ALS program. Nevertheless, there should be a proper monitoring and evaluation
tool designed by the Department of Education (DepEd) to identify priorities and needs and ensure proper
technical assistance to ALS implementers in the field. For further research, this study can be replicated in the
higher level utilizing other parameters.

Keywords: implementation, alternative, learning system, implementer

INTRODUCTION

Education is given a very high regard in the Philippines. It receives the most of appropriations among
the social service areas. The heavy debt service burden of the country, however, prevented the
educational sector from receiving enough and necessary service to each clientele. In the Philippines
and some other countries, the children who faced the most severe barriers to education, such as those

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The implementation of Alternative Learning System in public schools in Isabela, Philippines

associated with gender, poverty, displacement, disability and/or ethnicity are still left behind. Many of
these children do not get the chance to go to school because their families bank on them for labor, the
distance and the risk in going to school. Some cannot attend because the local schools lack water
points, latrines or accessible facilities for children with disabilities.
The greatest challenges are met by children who encounter several of these barriers. Executive Order
No. 356 entitled “Renaming the Bureau of Non-formal Education to Bureau of Alternative Learning
System (BALS)” states that “it is the declared State policy to protect and promote the right of all
citizens to quality basic education and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible
to all and shall maintain and support a complete adequate, and integrated system of basic education
relevant to the needs of the people and society. It shall establish and maintain a system of free and
compulsory public education in the elementary level and free education in the high school level” (Sec.
2 of R.A. 9155, Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001). Each Filipino citizen young and adult
has the privilege to undergo formal schooling. However, many Filipinos were being deprived of this
right due to their destitute conditions and traditional cultures (Mendoza, 2011). The 1987 Philippine
Constitution provides for the recognition and promotion of other forms of education other than formal
education. Article XIV, Section 2, Paragraph (1) declares that the State shall establish, maintain and
support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people
and society and paragraph (4) concisely encourages non-formal, informal and indigenous learning
systems as well as self-learning, independent and out-of-school study programs particularly those that
respond to community needs. Equalizing opportunities in education is one of the most important
conditions for overcoming social injustice and reducing social disparities in any country… and is also
a condition for strengthening economic growth (UNESCO, 2008, p. 24).
In doing so, the Department of Education has designed a program called the Alternative Learning
System(ALS) to address the issue and to comply with the UNESCO’s Millennium Development Goal
of eradicating illiteracy across nations and to provide all Filipinos the chance to have access to and
complete basic education in a mode that fits their distinct situations and needs. This is a relative idea
in the Philippine Educational System in order to prevent the increase of illiteracy in our country. The
Alternative Learning System is a parallel learning system in the Philippines that provides a practical
option to the existing formal instruction. When one does not have or cannot access formal education in
schools, ALS is an alternate or substitute. ALS includes both the non-formal and informal sources of
knowledge and skills (Section 12.1 Rules XII of R.A. 9155). However, the scenario is the basis of the
conduct of this study. In view of this phenomenon, the researchers aimed to study the implementers
and learners in the implementation of Alternative Learning System in the Schools Division of Isabela.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The Department of Education characterized Alternative Learning System (ALS) to cater out-of-school
children, youth and adults who need basic and functional literacy skills, knowledge and values. These
people are usually located in far-flung areas with no or limited access to formal schools. Specifically,
this group of marginalized learners consists of street children, indigenous peoples, farmers, fisher
folks, women, adolescents, solo parents, children in conflict areas not reached by the formal school
system. In response to one of the challenges of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Millennium Development Goals (MDG) which is to achieve
universal primary education, academe within the Philippines pose new challenges for the
improvement of literacy rate among Filipinos. In fact, the current status in Philippine education as
revealed by the Department of Education shows that only six out of ten students who entered Grade 1
are able to finish Grade 6, and out of these six (6) elementary graduates, only four (4) are able to
finish 4th year high school. According to Cagurangan, et al. (2017), learning strands are equivalent to
subjects in the formal school system. Learning strands, topics or skills include communication skills in
English and Filipino, scientific and critical thinking skills, mathematical and problem solving skills,
life and career skills, understanding the self and society and digital citizenship. For ALS to be truly
parallel with the formal education system, same standards and competencies are set for both in the K-
12 Curriculum to achieve the goal of producing holistically developed Filipinos with 21 st century

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skills. However, learners’ acquisition of 21 st century skills is low. This implies further that their local
environment strongly affects the way they learn which includes the community support they are
receiving such as the community learning centers. Moreover, teachers should teach the importance of
content of a certain topic that is rooted in the cultural context or in a local setting and the information
that students should acquire. The community and schools must collaborate in achieving specific
objectives, thus enriching not just their intellectual capacity but also their social awareness. Pappas
(2013) asserted that in the instruction or in the method of teaching, Knowles’ four principles of
andragogy which is applied in adult learning are: (1) adults need to be involved in the planning and
evaluation of their instruction; (2) experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for the learning
activities; (3) adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact
to their job or personal life, and (4) adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-centered. In
addition, he underscored the life skills approach of ALS which is defined as the abilities for positive
and adaptive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands, challenges,
experiences and situations of everyday life. It is the principal teaching-learning methodology of
Alternative Learning System.
In addition, Apao, et al. (2014) stated that the Alternative Learning System A&E program was
effective in cultivating the life skills of the recipients. The program improved the quality of living of
the respondents as they continue their pursuit for meaning and significance in life. It proved that
students still learn and acquire the life-long competencies even outside the walls of the formal school
system. It was an option for those who wanted to improve their quality of living and rise beyond
poverty. As an alternative to the formal school system, the government needs to provide the physical
and financial resources for sustainability of the ALS program. Its governance should be strengthened
to maximize the participation of stakeholders to bring the out-of-school adults to school and let them
finish their studies, thereby increasing literacy. The strong support and collaboration of the
stakeholders, the commitment of both learners and mobile teachers are necessary in the effective
implementation of the program.
The Kolb’s Experiential Learning focuses on learners reflecting on their experience of doing
something, so as to gain conceptual insight as well as practical expertise. Kolb’s Experiential Learning
Model suggests four stages in this process: active experimentation, concrete experience, reflective
observation and abstract conceptualization (William, 2015).
Similarly, Schiro (2012) pointed out that experience and education of Dewey proves that children need
assistance from teachers in developing a concrete understanding of the world. In order to effectively
assist students, teachers must first observe children and from those observations determine the types
of experiences they maintain and have an interest in. For Dewey, the path to quality education requires
learning that is built on previous knowledge and experiences, presented in a highly structured and well
planned manner.
Cagurangan, et al. (2017) claim that ALS implementers should adopt localized instructional materials
to suit to the localized setting of the learners. Meanwhile, most of the skills are low such as the
creativity skills and the innovation skills.
Moralista and Delarierte (2014) also stressed that an explanation for the diverse status and learning
styles of the learners are the increasing learning competencies which are the major problems
encountered by the implementers as there are advance and slow learners affecting how the
interference or cognition abilities to task-related factors such as the complexity of a task or lesson.
In addition, the instructional managers should look into the factors contributing to the learning
motivation of the ALS learners in involving themselves in school or any instructional program.
Alternative Learning System providers should also revisit and review the programs and balance out
the relationship of the learner’s ability and appropriateness, complexity and demands of the tasks
given to them as the relationship of these factors are crucial in bridging the willingness of the learners
needed for a successful achievement outcome (Atilano, et al., 2016).
The Alternative Learning System only requires students to choose schedules according to their choice
and availability. The program has two different schematics for conducting instruction: school-based
and community- based. On the school-based program, instructions are conducted in school campuses
while in the community-based program, formal instruction is conducted in community halls or on
private places. The ALS program follows uniform lesson modules for all academic subjects covering

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The implementation of Alternative Learning System in public schools in Isabela, Philippines

the sciences, mathematics, English, Filipino, social studies, current events among others. Delivery of
instruction is provided by government-paid instructors or by private non-government organization.
Aside from schematics, the program has two levels: elementary and secondary. Students have to start
from elementary level, then proceed to high school level. If a student is a graduate of elementary
under a formal classroom system, the student is automatically admitted to the secondary levels
depending on which year level the student stopped schooling. Program administration is held by the
Department of Education, an agency of the government of the Philippines in-charge in providing
education to all Filipinos. Private non-government organizations may deliver the program but still
under the supervision of the Philippine education agency. After finishing the curriculum, all
participants of the program belonging to a particular education district are given the final
comprehensive examinations covering all subject areas in the curriculum. Successful examinees are
then grouped together in a closing ceremony where they are given their certificate of completion
either for the elementary or secondary level. McDonald also stressed that in the elementary level, if a
student has never reached the first grade, the student will be admitted in the Grade 1 level with the
corresponding module of instruction given. The students have to finish all the modules for the first
grade level and pass assessment test before proceeding to the next level. After successfully finishing
all the modules, the students are given the comprehensive examinations prior to admission in the
graduation (McDonald, 2012).
According to McDonald (2012), the Alternative Learning System evolved from the non-formal
education that has been conducted by the government of the Philippines. Previously, non-formal
education was mostly concentrated in instruction in livelihood skills training with basic readiness to
attend classroom instructions on a daily basis just like the formal education system. Secondary
education has now become a prerequisite in vocational technology and college education in the
Philippines. Livelihood trainings however, do not need formal or non-formal education in the
Philippines. Moreover, instructional materials are highly important for teaching, especially for
inexperienced teachers. Teachers rely on instructional materials in every aspect of teaching. They need
materials for background information on the subject they are teaching. Young teachers usually have
not built up their expertise whenever they enter into the field. Teachers often use instructional
materials for lesson planning. These materials are also needed by teachers to assess the knowledge of
their students. Teachers often assess students by assigning tasks, creating projects, and administering
exams. Instructional materials are essential for all of these activities. Teachers are often expected to
create their own lesson plans. This can be difficult, especially if the teacher has limited background
knowledge on the subject. Teachers are expected to have a wide variety of expertise in many different
fields. Often, they need instructional aides to supplement their knowledge. Instructional materials can
help provide background knowledge on the subject the teacher is planning for, and offer suggestions
for lesson plans. Lesson planning is often the most stressful aspect of teaching. Teachers are usually
dependent on them to do their job properly.
Stakeholders offer important insight into each phase of program planning, implementation and
evaluation in the Alternative Learning System. Stakeholders are most commonly involved at the
beginning stages of program planning. They are able to provide insight for the various needs that a
program or curriculum should meet. Experience shows that once the goals have been set in the first
part of program development, stakeholders are sometimes not consulted in latter stages of program
implementation and evaluation. This is unfortunate because stakeholders have the potential to
illuminate issues and needs during the course of program implementation (Banach & Gregory, 2001).
According to Abasolo (2017), the accomplishment of ALS implementation will depend on the ability
to bring partnership to the local level, to the provinces, to the cities, to the municipalities, and the
barangays. Cultivation and coordination of partnerships with the private sector, international agencies,
national government agencies, LGUs, and other community-based groups involved in mobilizing
donations must be done to ensure that these are reliable and associated with the goals of the DepEd.
In addition, he also pointed out that facilities and equipment can have a deep influence on both teacher
and student outcomes and can affect health, behavior, engagement, learning, and growth in
achievement. The findings show that the implementers know that the learning center climate is one of
the most treasured assets to the teaching-learning situation and they work hard to maintain a healthy
climate and a learner friendly environment in the learning center. Most of the learners are satisfied

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with facilities and equipment which are being used by the implementers in the implementation of the
program. There are learning centers in the community on which the facilities are not always available
just because they are conducting there the sessions on the learners’ residence or any vacant and
available lot to conduct ALS learning sessions. It was really proven that physical facilities and
equipment can have a deep influence on both teacher and student outcomes and can affect health,
behavior, engagement, learning, and growth in achievement.
Realistic learning approach in the lessons must be provided to relate lessons to real life positions.
Tools and techniques using the multi-media that will enhance resourcefulness and innovativeness are
to be provided. To improve teaching performance, a training seminar concerning managing difficult
learners and implementing the program at the division level must be conducted and stakeholders must
request for funding in implementing the ALS program and intensifying campaign/lobby for legislators
to take in budget for ALS. As for the learners’ performance, immersions are recommended for
exposures, sessions to address the weakness on limited awareness to the different cultures together
with their teachers (Abasolo, 2017).
Finally, he emphasized that the implementers can fully implement the program if the barangay
officials cooperate and are fully aware of the ALS program so that there is no problem when it reaches
the community. Community involvement is one of the major objectives of the planning,
implementation and monitoring of ALS program. Several NGOs and LGUs have also played active
roles in activities relating to strengthening and community awareness activities for the out-of-school
youth and adult as Madrid (2004) emphasized that teachers’ competency in teaching is a significant
factor for the development of the learner.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The framework shows that Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a program designed to provide a
practical option to the existing formal instruction. When one does not have or cannot access formal
education in schools, ALS is an alternate or substitute. ALS includes both the non-formal and informal
sources of knowledge and skills. Education in the Philippines poses new challenges in the academe for
the improvement of literacy rate among Filipinos in response to one of the challenges of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) which is to achieve universal primary education. Many Filipinos do not have a chance
to attend and finish formal basic education due to many reasons. Some drop-out from schools while
some do not have schools in their communities. Since every Filipino has a right to free basic
education, the government established ALS to provide all Filipinos the chance to have access to and
complete basic education in a mode that fits their district situations and needs. The concept behind this
study is inspired through the Input-Process-Output analysis. The first stage focuses on the input. The
input concentrated to the level of alternative learning system concerning both the implementers and
the ALS learners. Furthermore, the components of the paradigm of the study will also focus on the
process which indulges in determining the level of implementation of the alternative learning system
through administering a survey questionnaire. The last component of the paradigm stresses on the
improvement and efficiency in the implementation of alternative learning system which the
implementers and the learners participated in.

Determine the
Level of
Implementation of
the Alternative
Learning System
through:

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 The implementation of Alternative Learning System in public schools in Isabela, Philippines

Level of Implementation of Determined the

Alternative Learning System Level of
by the ALS Implementers and Implementation of
ALS Learners in terms of:
the Alternative
Learning System
nstructional materials,
physical facilities and
equipment, financial resources,
inkages, cooperation from
takeholders and attitude of

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to determine the level of implementation of the Alternative Learning System
(ALS) programs in the Schools Division of Isabela. Specifically, it aimed to: (1) Determine the level
of ALS implementation as perceived by the implementers and learners in terms of instructional
materials, physical facilities and equipment, financial resources, linkages, cooperation from
stakeholders and attitude of ALS implementers; and (2) Analyze the difference in the perception of
implementers and learners on the level of implementation of the ALS in the Schools Division of
Isabela.

METHODOLOGY

The study used the descriptive-correlational method to obtain relevant information regarding the level
of implementation of Alternative Learning System. The descriptive method of research is a fact-
finding study with accurate and adequate interpretation of the findings. The respondents who
participated were the District ALS implementers and ALS learners in the Schools Division of Isabela.
The sample of implementers and learners were determined at 95% level of confidence at 5% margin
of error and proportionally allocated per respondent district. There were 402 respondents randomly
selected from 44 districts in the Schools Division of Isabela. Of this number, 72 or 17.91 percent
comprised the implementers and 330 or 82.09 percent were learners. The primary data were collected
using a structured questionnaire on ALS Implementation developed and validated by the researchers
and expert teachers. The instrument used a five-point Likert scale with 5 as the highest and 1 as the
lowest. The data collected were coded and interpreted as follows: (5) 4.50-5.00 – Outstanding, (4)
3.50-4.49 – Very Good, (3) 2.50-3.49 – Good, (2) 1.50-2.49 – Fair, (1) 1.00-1.49 – Poor. The
researchers secured a written permit from the Schools Division Superintendent in the Schools
Division of Isabela. After the permission was given, the researchers explained the purpose of the study
to the selected respondents in order to extract the needed and reliable information. Finally, at the end
of the survey period, all data were collected. The data gathered were classified, tallied, tabulated and

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subjected to statistical tools and analyses utilizing descriptive statistics such as mean to elaborate the
data gathered in the rational and operational aspects of the implementation of Alternative Learning
System. Mann-Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis H-test were used to answer differences of
perception of respondents.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Implementation of Alternative Learning System

The perceived level of implementation of ALS in terms of instructional materials, facilities and
equipment and financial resources is shown in table 1. It can be noticed that almost all the items from
the three factors were interpreted as very good except for item 3 under instructional materials,
“Quality instructional materials are available during ALS sessions” was interpreted as outstanding and
obtained the highest mean of 4.50. This strengthened by Woolfolk’s (2007) that instructional materials
are effective in delivering quality education and are also used for motivating learners. Likewise, in
terms of facilities and equipment, item 3, “Relevance of ALS learning centers to the instructional
materials got the highest mean of 4.46 while “Facilities and equipment for ALS are always available”
got the lowest mean of 4.16 but both descriptively interpreted as very good. Abasalo (2017) pointed
out that physical facilities and equipment has proven to have a deep influence on both teacher and
learner outcomes and can affect health, behavior, engagement, learning, and growth in achievement.
Moreover, in terms of financial resources, it is revealed that the highest mean rating of 4.38 pertains to
the “Availability of funds for ALS special programs” and item 3 “Appropriation of ALS programs and
projects” obtained the lowest mean of 4.22 however both descriptively interpreted as very good. The
findings of the study implicates that the implementation of ALS program among implementers and
learners were very good and in one point outstanding. The results further ensure that there were
adequate provisions, available, appropriate and relevant instructional materials, facilities and
equipment, and financial resources in the implementation of the programs of ALS.

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The implementation of Alternative Learning System in public schools in Isabela, Philippines

As reflected in Table 2, the respondents perceived the level of implementation of ALS as very good in
terms of linkages, cooperation of stakeholders and attitude of ALS implementers. Moreover, each
items of the three factors were evaluated as very good. This shows that ALS implementers and ALS
learners recognized the importance of establishing partners/linkages, involvement of stakeholders and
portraying right attitude of implementers in the implementation of programs and projects of
alternative learning system. Specifically, in terms of linkages, “Establishing a good relationship with
partners” on item 2 obtained the highest mean ratings of 4.19 and item 4 “Intensifying strategies to
gain many linkages inside and outside the community” obtained the lowest mean of 3.67 and both
descriptively interpreted very good.
Likewise, in terms of cooperation from stakeholders, item 1 “Attendance in meetings and planning
sessions” got the highest mean of 4.49 and item 4 “Moral support in ALS activities” got the lowest
mean of 4.15 and both rated as very good. According to Apao, Dayagbil, and Abao (2014) the strong
support and collaboration of stakeholders and the commitment of both learners and ALS implementers
are necessary in the effective implementation of the program.
Consequently, in terms of the attitude of ALS implementers, most of them confirmed item 3,
“Knowledge of ALS curriculum” with the highest mean of 4.18 and item 4 “Teaching-learning
management” the lowest mean of 3.78 both interpreted equivalent to very good.

Differences in the Respondents’ Perception on the Level of Implementation of Alternative

Learning System (ALS) in the Schools Division of Isabela

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Table 3 presents the difference between ALS implementers and learners’ perception on the level of
implementation of ALS in terms of instructional materials, facilities and equipment and financial
resources. Results indicate for instructional materials that item 2, “Integrate the use of electronic
media in the delivery of lessons to various learning strands”; item 3, “Quality instructional materials
are available during ALS sessions”; and item 5, “Relevance of instructional materials use during ALS
sessions” were perceived to be significantly different between ALS implementers’ and learners’ as
indicated by the Z values of 2.12, 3.30 and 3.69 respectively with a significance levels of less than
0.05. Additionally, the mean ratings of 4.15 and 4.36 for items 2 and 5 given by the ALS
implementers’ are statistically higher than the mean ratings of 3.92 and 4.04 respectively from the
learners’. This revealed that ALS implementers had significantly a better perception than learners in
which instructional materials were adequately prepared and ensures relevance during ALS classes by
the implementers. However, the mean rating of 4.57 given by the learners for item 3 and a mean rating
of 4.17 from the implementers indicates that learners’ perception is statistically higher than
implementers’ perception. This indicated that learners had a significantly better perception than
implementers.
On the other hand, in terms of facilities and equipment, all items from 1 to 5 were perceived to be
significantly different between the two respondents having a Z values ranging from 2.45 to 4.50 and
with a significance levels of less than 0.05. Thus, the higher mean ratings from 4.22 to 4.53 from the
learners’ perception were statistically higher than the mean ratings from 3.86 to 4.12 from the
implementers’ perception, respectively. This result further indicates that learners had a significantly
better perception than the implementers as to the availability, accessibility and safety of facilities and
equipment used in ALS.

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Moreover, in terms of financial resources, the mean ratings from 3.89 to 4.22 from the implementers’
perception and the mean ratings from 4.27 to 4.42 from the learners’ perception were very good.
Accordingly, they affirmed that they have very good provision of funds for the overall ALS program
implementation, appropriation and releasing of funds to programs and projects, availability and
sufficiency of funds for salaries and personal services.
Thus, the Z values of 3.55, 3.99 and 4.17 with significance levels of less than 0.05 are significant in
three of the items. Thus, the higher mean ratings from 4.38 to 4.42 from the learners’ perception were
statistically higher than the mean ratings from 3.89 to 4.05 from the implementers’ perception,
respectively. This result further indicates that learners had a significantly better perception than the
implementers as to the immediate provision, appropriation, availability and sufficiency of funds for
the financial resources in teaching in ALS.

As revealed on Table 4, the difference between the respondents’ perception on the level of
implementation of ALS in terms linkages, cooperation from stakeholders and attitude of ALS
implementers indicates that in terms of linkages, item 1, “Sourcing out initiatives for prospective
linkages and partners” and item 5, “Implementing a plan of action for linkages and partners to see
outcomes” were perceived significant among the two respondents. However, the mean rating of 4.18
from the learners and 3.35 from the ALS implementers for item 1 indicates that learners had a better
perception than ALS implementers while the mean rating of 4.23 from the ALS implementers and
3.72 for item 5 indicates also that ALS implementers had a better perception than learners. This shows
that learners somehow look for prospective linkages and partners while ALS implementers implement
a plan of action for linkages. The strong support and collaboration of the stakeholders, the
commitment of both learners and ALS teachers are necessary in the effective implementation of the
program (Apao, et al. 2014). Moreover, in terms of the cooperation from the stakeholders, items 1,
“Attendance in
Meetings and Planning Sessions”, item 2, “Attendance and participation in ALS activities” and item 3,
“Involvement of Parents, Teachers and government officials” were perceived to be significantly
different of the respondents. The Z values of 4.56, 5.87 and 6.68 with significance levels of less than
0.05 are significant in three of the indicators. Thus, the higher mean ratings from 4.45 to 4.61 from the
learners’ perception were statistically higher than the mean ratings from 3.72 to 3.95 from the
implementers’ perception, respectively.
In terms of attitude of ALS implementers, item 3 on “Knowledge of ALS curriculum” and item 4

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“Teaching-learning management” were perceived to be significantly different among the respondents

as indicated by the Z values of 3.77 and 2.03 with a significance levels of less than 0.05. However, the
higher mean rating of 4.25 from the learners and 3.88 from the ALS implementers for item 3 shows
that learners had a significantly better perception than ALS implementers, while, the ALS
implementers had a better perception for item 4 than learners.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The ALS program is an effective venue to lessen the out of school youths and adults as well as
effective means to address unemployment issues in the country. The implementation of ALS program
in Schools Division of Isabela are commendable although there are some areas that need enhancement
like there were no permanent learning centers for the implementers and they need to move from one
place to another where the numbers of out-of-school youth and adult in the community are located but
there are also school heads who provided classroom to implementers for their sessions inside the
school vicinity. Moreover, issues such as lack of actual application for the learners was noted. The
support from the parents and government officials or the cooperation from stakeholders plays a big
role in the ALS program for the security of the learners and implementers in the community.
Implementers plays a vital role in the implementation of ALS program in the community, the attitude
of being humble, patient and flexible must possessed by the Mobile Teachers in order to manage the
different attitudes of their learners.
It was noted that both implementers and the learners were aware of the importance of the ALS
program. In their perception, the implementation of ALS in the Schools Division of Isabela was
generally very good. Majority of them revealed that relevance of instructional materials use during
ALS sessions was outstanding. They affirmed that facilities and equipment were always available,
enough, relevant, with quality, accessible and safe in the learning centers. They also perceived that
financial resources appropriation, availability, and sufficiency exist in the ALS program
implementation. Majority also of the respondents revealed that establishing linkages, participation of
stakeholders such as parents and government officials and attitude of ALS implementers were very
good. However, there are significant differences in some areas of the factors in the implementation of
Alternative Learning System. On the basis of the results of the study, it is recommended that ALS
Implementers consistently build and maintain positive working relationship with the barangay
officials and other stakeholders to win their full cooperation in the implementation of the ALS
programs and projects. Further, the learners are advised to be guided accordingly and comply with the
regular attendance as scheduled by the assigned ALS implementer in the ALS centers and other
linkages and partners may work hand and hand to extend financial support as needed in the
implementation of the ALS program. Nevertheless, there should be a proper monitoring and
evaluation tool designed by the Department of Education (DepEd) to identify priorities and needs and
ensure proper technical assistance to ALS implementers in the field. For further research, it is
recommended that this study be replicated in the higher level utilizing other parameters.

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