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A total of 24 children in conflict with the law from the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth (RRCY) in Argao, Cebu, successfully passed the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test under the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) on February 5, 2025.

Alternative Learning System (ALS) students attend one of their classes.

The ALS program allows out-of-school children, youth, and adults (OSCYAs) with a flexible and accessible alternative to formal education. Those who pass the program receive a Junior High School completion certificate, an accomplishment for learners like those CICL with a suspended sentence at RRCY, and an opportunity to continue their education while undergoing rehabilitation.

The ALS journey for the RRCY residents began on August 2, 2024, with weekly classes held every Wednesday at the RRCY Elementary School within the vicinity of the center. DepEd Argao I District teacher, Mr. Doyen T. Filomeno, who taught key subjects in preparation for the A&E Test, facilitated these sessions.

“This is a meaningful validation that the RRCY has built a strong and sustained partnership with the Department of Education by ensuring that our residents can continue their education despite being inside the center,” said RRCY Officer-in-Charge and Social Welfare Officer III Rhodelia Viajedor.

According to Viajedor, the ALS program serves as a critical opportunity for the children at the center to pursue and complete their basic education as part of their rehabilitation and reintegration process.

Even those reintegrated into their families and communities, with their cases closed and terminated, were allowed to continue the ALS program through modular learning at home.

On February 5, 2025, the Department of Education conducted a nationwide A&E Test, with the RRCY Elementary School designated as one of the official testing venues. All 25 learners took the exam, including one who, having been reintegrated in the remote area of Poro, Camotes Island, took the exam at the nearest available school.

A Brighter Path Begins

For the CICLs at RRCY, completing their ALS journey is a commitment to their personal transformation and to the support they received throughout their educational path.

With the completion of the ALS program, JM and Gerald (not their real name) believe that their journey marks the beginning of a future filled with hope, one that started within the walls of the center.

JM, a CICL from Brgy. Labangon, Cebu City, who committed a drug-related case, shared that his perspective on education has changed. He once believed that education would not lead to financial independence, but he now acknowledges that he was wrong.

“Nalipay ko nga daghan kog nakat-onan, labi na sa pagbasa ug pagsuwat. Karon pa gyud nako nasinati nga importante diay kaayo ang edukasyon. Diri nako nasabtan ug nasinati kung unsa ka bililhon ang edukasyon aron makab-ot ang imong pangandoy,” he said.

He added that once he leaves RRCY, he plans to pursue a career in the military. “I want to become a soldier,” he exclaimed.

Another CICL, Gerald from Brgy. Tangke, Talisay City, shared his hopes for life after RRCY. He hopes that the certificate he will receive through the ALS program will help him secure a job and support his growing child. For him, any decent job is a step toward rebuilding his life.

“Ang akong tumong kung mogawas nako, mahimong usa ka maayong amahan. Kay bisan pa man wala ko nahimong maayong anak, gusto ko nga mahimong maayong amahan,” he said.

From left. A photo outside the school building shows some RRCY residents enrolled in the Alternative Learning System (ALS). JM and Gerald, two ALS students, take the examination.

He believes that having a decent job will allow him to provide for his child and keep him from returning to his old ways of using and selling illegal drugs.

The results of the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Examination, released on June 6, 2025, revealed that twenty-four out of twenty-five learners of RRCY successfully passed—including both JM and Gerald.

Their achievements serve as a reminder that, despite conflicting with the law, determination, a commitment to change, and consistent support can play a vital role in the rehabilitation of any CICL.

Over the past three academic years, RRCY has produced a total of 76 ALS passers and currently has 14 enrollees for the current academic year, which began in June. ###