71-year old Bai Maria gets HS diploma
DETERMINED TO EARN COLLEGE DEGREE
SAN CARLOS CITY—The last time she was a regular student was as a freshmen high school more than half a century ago.
Maria Mercedes Lavarias, a 71-year old farmer from Barangay Libas here a widow with eight children and 17 grandchildren, finally earned her secondary school diploma last Tuesday after resuming her formal education through the government’s Alternative Learning System (ALS).
“I’m so excited, happy,” said Lavarias, or Bai Maria as her classmates would call her, in the local language.
ALS is a ladderized, modular non-formal education program for dropouts in elementary and secondary schools.
COLLEGE DEGREE
And it’s not the end of the education road for Lavarias who is determined to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education degree next school year through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP).
Lavarias said the degree will help her in her advocacy to teach children with disability, a social action activity of the church where she belongs.
“I want to make it as my advocacy to take care of them,” she said.
The ETEEAP is a comprehensive educational assessment program at the tertiary level that recognizes, accredits and gives equivalencies to knowledge, skills, attitudes and values gained by individuals from relevant work. It is implemented through deputized higher education institutions that shall award the appropriate college degree.
Lavarias narrated that from grade 1 to first year, she was always among the honor students in her class but she was unable to continue with her education due to poverty and the policy of her mother that “a woman is meant to be a housewife so why have her educated?”.
Nonetheless, Lavarias over the years took vocational courses like dressmaking and attended various seminars to broaden her knowledge.
Along with Bai Maria, two other ALS graduates were inmates from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology here.
Former sixth district Rep. Conrado Estrella III, who was guest speaker during the 8th Recognition Ceremony held at the Federico Mandapat Sports Dome here, lauded the graduates for giving importance to their education despite the odds.—Eva Visperas
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