S. No.

1365
H. No. 6910

Republic nf tip JUplijjpuujs

Congress nf flje ^lliiltppiiies

(Metro (Manila

^igljfeenfli (Unngress

jSernnb Regular jSessinn

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-seventh

day of July, two thousand twenty.

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11510]

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING
SYSTEM IN BASIC EDUCATION FOR OUT- OF-SCHOOL
CHILDREN IN SPECIAL CASES AND ADULTS AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines

in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the

“Alternative Learning System Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the

State to promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and
take the appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. The State
shall likewise give the highest priority to the enactment of measures that
promote human development and the acceleration of social progress, thereby
reducing social, economic and political inequalities.

Towards this end, the State shall provide the out-of-school children in
special cases and adults with opportunities to improve their knowledge,
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values, life skills, and readiness for highei’ education, work or self-
employment through a system of nonformal or indigenous education, or both
which are tailored to respond to their learning needs and life circumstances.
The State shall also ensure the close partnership and collaboration between
the government and the private sector in achieving this goal.

SEC. 3. Objectives. - This Act aims to achieve the following

objectives:

(a) Provide adequate, timely and quality attention and support to the
basic learning needs of out-of-school children in special cases and adults
including indigenous peoples;

(b) Guarantee equitable access for all learners, including those who
reside in the unreached, underserved, conflict-affected communities, and
communities in emergency situations to avail of systematic, flexible and
appropriate alternative basic education programs outside of the formal school
system;

(c) Promote lifelong learning opportunities anchored on the

Alternative Learning System (ALS) K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum
(BEC) that takes a holistic, integrated and intersectoral approach, and provide
pathways across modes of learning that will ensure learners will become
caring, self- reliant, independent, productive, and patriotic citizens, by
allowing such learners to pursue further education, after participating in the
ALS program and passing the accreditation and equivalency assessments or
certifications, or both required by the Department of Education (DepEd), or
seek employment;

(d) Hire, capacitate, and deploy ALS Teachers, Community ALS

Implementors and Learning Facilitators to deliver a range of ALS programs
especially in far-flung, unserved, underserved, conflict-affected communities,
and communities in emergency situations;

(e) Design specialized programs for learners with disabilities, taking

into consideration their different levels of learning needs and other functional
difficulties in the development of instructional materials and learning
resources in accessible format;

(f) Develop, integrate, and utilize nonformal and informal education

approaches and strategies in the delivery of the ALS programs an’d the
assessment of learning outcomes and competencies of ALS learners by
providing flexibility in the duration of learning programs, learning contents,
and delivery strategies, among others;

(g) Improve access to education and other learning opportunities and

raise the level of literacy to contribute to an individual’s sustainable future;
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and

(h) Strengthen nonformal basic education programs while ensuring

support to the policy of the DepEd that school age children should be enrolled
in formal education, and that they should be able to return to the formal
education system in the event that they drop out.

SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act:

(a) Alternative Learning System K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum

(ALS K to 12 BEC) shall refer to the comprehensive curriculum indicating the
competency, content, key stages, and standards for the ALS program under
this Act. The ALS K to 12 BEC is benchmarked on the DepEd K to 12 formal
school curriculum and focuses on the 21 st Century Skills: information, media
and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, communication skills,
and life and career skills.

(b) Alternative Learning System Teachers (ALS Teachers) shall refer

to DepEd employed teachers who implement the ALS programs.

(c) Academic-Focused Bridging Programs shall refer to ALS

programs that provide continuing learning opportunities to accreditation and
equivalency secondary level test passers who wish to better prepare for the
academic demands and study skills requirements of tertiary level education or
postsecondary vocational training, or both.

(d) Accreditation and. Equivalency Assessments and Certifications

(A&E Assessments and Certifications) shall refer to a process in ALS that
comprises exams and other assessments deemed appropriate and anchored on
the competencies of the ALS K to 12 BEC.

(e) Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A&E Program) shall

refer to a program in ALS aimed at providing an alternative pathway of
learning for out-of-school children in special cases and adults who have not
completed basic education. Through this program, school dropouts are able to
complete elementary and secondary education outside the formal school
system.

(f) Adult shall refer to a person at least eighteen (18) years of age and
above.

(g) Alternative Learning System (ALS) shall refer to a parallel

learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal
education instruction. It encompasses both nonformal and informal sources of
knowledge and skills.

(h) Basic Literacy Program shall refer to the program component of

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ALS that is aimed at eradicating illiteracy among out-of-school children in
special cases and adults by developing basic literacy skills of reading,
writing, numeracy, and simple comprehension.

(i) Community Alternative Learning System Implementors

(Community ALS Implementors) shall refer to persons engaged either by the
DepEd or any local government unit (LGU) to deliver ALS programs to out-
of-school children in special cases and adults.

(j) Community Learning Center (CLC) shall refer to a physical space

to house learning resources and facilities of a learning program for out-of-
school children in special cases and adults. It is a venue for face-to-face
learning activities and other learning opportunities for community
development and improvement of the people’s quality of life.

(k) Functional Education and Literacy Programs shall refer to short-

term nonformal education programs designed to help socioeconomically
disadvantaged learners to upgrade a targeted set of skills, knowledge and
selected competencies in the ALS K to 12 BEC in order to improve then*
social, political and economic well-being and function more effectively as
citizens, parents, workers and members of the community.

(l) Indigenous Peoples refer to a group of people or homogenous

societies identified by self-ascription and ascription by others, who have
continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and
defined territory, and who have under claims of ownership since time
immemorial, occupied, possessed and utilized such territories, sharing
common bonds of language, customs, tradition and other distinctive cultural
traits or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads
of colonization became historically differentiated from the majority of the
Filipinos.

(m) Indigenous Peoples Education shall refer to the program that

supports education initiatives undertaken through formal, nonformal, and
informal modalities with emphasis on any of, but not limited to, the key areas
of indigenous knowledge systems and practices and community history,
indigenous languages, indigenous learning system (ILS), and community life
cycle-based curriculum and assessment, educational goals, aspirations and
competencies specific to the indigenous cultural community (ICC),
engagement of elders and other community members in the teaching-learning
process, assessment, and management of the initiative, recognition and
continuing practice of the community’s ILS, and the rights and
responsibilities of ICCs.

(n) Informal Education shall refer to diverse forms of learning that

are intentional or deliberate but are not institutionalized. It is a lifelong
process of learning by which every person acquires and accumulates
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knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily experiences at home, at
work, at play and from life itself towards literacy.

(o) Learners with Disabilities shall refer to those who have long-term
physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction
with various barriers may hinder them full and effective participation in
society on equal basis with others. . »’

(p) Learning Facilitators shall refer to teachers financed by the

private sector who implement ALS programs. The private sector shall include
nongovernment organizations or associations, civil society organizations, or
individuals.

(q) Micro-certification, also known as micro-credentialing, shall refer

to a flexible means of certifying attainment of specific elements of ALS K to
12 minimum competencies which can be used by the holder as credential
such as in job application, recruitment and selection.

(r) Nonformal Education (NFE) shall refer to any organized and

systematic educational activity carried outside the framework of the formal
education system to provide selected types of learning to a segment of the
population.

(s) Out-of-School Children in Special Cases shall refer to children in

the official school age who are not enrolled in the elementary or secondary
schools due to special cases such as economic, geographic, political, cultural,
or social barriers, including learners with disabilities or conditions,
indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, learners in emergency
situations, and other marginalized sectors.

SEC. 5. Institutionalizing the ALS. - The ALS is hereby

institutionalized to strengthen and expand the ALS program to provide
increased opportunities for out-of-school children in special cases and adult
learners, including indigenous peoples, to develop basic and functional
literacy and life skills, and pursue an equivalent pathway to complete basic
education.

SEC. 6. Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE). - The Bureau of

Alternative Education (BAE) shall be created to serve as the focal office for
the implementation of the ALS programs of the DepEd. It shall be headed by
a Director.

SEC. 7. Powers and Functions of the BAE. - The BAE shall serve as
the focal office for the policy formulation, curriculum development, learning
program delivery and learning materials development for the ALS program.
To ensure the effective implementation of the ALS, the BAE shall establish
quality assurance and support systems and
undertake regular learner assessment activities. It shall have the following
powers and functions:

(a) Establish minimum quality standards in the development? of the

ALS curriculum and learning materials, program planning, implementation,
monitoring, evaluation, and management, including certification of learning
outcomes, recognition of service providers, competency standards for ALS
personnel, and requirements for ALS learning environments, among others;

(b) Promote and ensure the certification and accreditation of learners

through alternative learning programs, both nonformal and informal in nature,
as anchored on the competencies of the ALS K to 12 BEC;

(c) In partnership with other government agencies, LGUs, and the

private sector, ensure access to educational opportunities for learners of
different interests, learning needs, capabilities, demographic characteristics,
and socioeconomic status, who have been unable to complete formal basic
education;

(d) Coordinate with various agencies and industries for skills

development to promote the learners’ employability, efficiency, productivity,
and competitiveness in the labor market, as well as assist the learners to
become entrepreneurs;

(e) Coordinate, encourage close partnerships, and establish linkages

with LGUs and the private sector on matters pertaining to the sustainable
implementation of ALS programs, post-program support activities and
community mapping, and manage a nationwide database for out-of-school
children in special cases and adults; and

(f) Such other powers and functions as may be necessary for the
effective and efficient implementation of ALS programs, projects, and
activities.

SEC. 8. ALS Programs. - The DepEd shall strengthen the

implementation of a range of priority NFE programs including, but not
limited to, the following:

(a) Basic Literacy Program;

(b) A&E Programs;

(c) Indigenous Peoples Education Program;

(d) Academic-Focused Bridging Programs; and

(e) Functional Education and Literacy Programs.

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To effectively deliver the NFE programs, the DepEd may utilize
appropriate, relevant and responsive learning modalities, such as:

(a) Modular instruction;

(b) Online, digital or mobile learning;

(c) Face-to-face learning sessions and tutorials;

(d) Radio or television-based instruction;

(e) Blended learning or a combination of various modalities;

(f) Workshops, simulations, and internship to inculcate life skills,

work readiness, and entrepreneurship; and

(g) Provision of inclusive and safe learning environments.

SEC. 9. Duration of ALS Programs. - The DepEd shall prescribe the

appropriate minimum number of months required for the completion of each
of the different ALS programs to ensure that the learners enrolled therein are
provided with adequate and quality basic education and skills to complete the
required competencies of the ALS K to 12 BEC.

SEC. 10. A&E Assessment and Certification for ALS Learners. — The
DepEd shall regularly conduct ALS A&E assessments and certifications as a
means to measure and certify competencies of xALS program completers and
other learners who opt to secure elementary and secondary level
certifications. It shall also conduct micro-certification of subsets of
competencies drawn from the ALS K to 12 BEC. Such assessments and
certifications can be done both at the national and local levels.

Those who pass elementary level A&E are qualified to enroll in junior
high school.

Those who pass the junior high school A&E are qualified for senior
high school or may enroll in selected technical vocational education and
training programs, as appropriate, through the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA).

Those who pass the senior high school level A&E are qualified for
higher education, as appropriate, provided that they comply with the other
basic documentary requirements set by the schools or higher education
institutions (HEIs) as requirements for enrollment. They may also enroll in
technical vocational education and training programs, as appropriate, through
the TESDA.
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The DepEd shall develop supplemental learning programs for passers
of the ALS A&E assessments and certifications to enhance their college
readiness and facilitate their gainful employment or self-employment.

Measures shall be undertaken in order for the general public, especially

educational and training institutions, government agencies, and employers to
recognize the nature and value of certifications provided to ALS learners.

SEC. 11. Hiring and Promotion of ALS Teachers; Expansion of the

ALS Teachers Program. - To reach more out-of-school children in special
cases and adults and to accommodate learners with disabilities, the ALS
Teachers program shall be strengthened.

The DepEd, in consultation with the Department of Budget and

Management and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), shall create teaching
positions and allocate the corresponding salary grades.

The DepEd shall also engage the services of Community ALS

Implementors to augment.the needed human resource requirements for the
delivery of ALS programs, provided that three (3) years after the effectivity
of this Act, the DepEd shall hire only ALS Teachers. .

ALS Teachers are entitled to promotion to the next higher levels based
on the qualification standards of the CSC. The DepEd shall ensure equal
opportunities and standard implementation on the promotion and
compensation of ALS Teachers.

SEC. 12. ALS Teachers Education and Training. - In coordination with

the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and other relevant partners in
the government, academe, and the private sector, and in order to promote the
professional growth of ALS Teachers, the DepEd shall develop and conduct
regular training programs and workshops for ALS Teachers, Community
ALS Implementors and Learning Facilitators to ensure that they have the
necessary knowledge and capacity to carry out the programs under the ALS
curriculum, as well as enhance their skills on their roles as academic,
administrative, and community leaders.

The same benefits and professional development packages awarded to

regular teachers in terms of fellowships, scholarships, and training
opportunities- in all learning areas of the basic education curriculum shall
also be given to ALS Teachers.

SEC. 13. Provision of an ALS CLC. - The DepEd or the LGUs, or both
shall provide at least one (1) ALS CLC in every municipality and city
throughout the country to facilitate a learning environment for the full
implementation of the ALS K to 12 BEC and other ALS programs. Priority
should be given to areas where there is limited access to formal basic
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education or higher concentration of out-of-school children in special cases,
or adults lacking basic literacy skills or have dropped out of formal school, or
both.

To augment the number of existing ALS CLCs and those provided

under this Act, the facilities of all DepEd schools throughout the country shall
likewise be used as learning centers during no class days and after regular
class hours during class days. Guidelines shall be developed by the BAE in
collaboration with the strands of operations and administration of the DepEd
on the use of facilities of public schools for the delivery of ALS programs.

Each ALS CLC shall be constructed in accordance with the

specifications, criteria and other details provided and approved by the DepEd,
in consultation with the municipal or city mayor or duly authorized LGU
representative, to ensure the ol’derly implementation of ALS programs.

Further, to ensure that every learner has equitable access to ALS

programs, every CLC shall be open and operational seven (7) days a week
and be provided with adequate learning resources and facilities, including a
space for childcare for parents attending ALS classes.

SEC. 14. Recognition of ALS Providers, Standards of ALS Service

Delivery, and System of Rewards and Incentives. - The DepEd shall
encourage partnerships with the private sector to ensure a sustainable
implementation of ALS programs. The DepEd shall create a system of
recognition and monitoring of service providers. In consultation with such
providers, the DepEd shall formulate and adopt a set of standards of service
delivery, including the qualification, deployment, training, remuneration, and
system of rewards and incentives which are responsive to the needs and
distinct situations of the particular areas where the implementors or
facilitators, or both serve. The DepEd shall include in the Implementing
Rules and Regulations of this Act the minimum requirements and conditions
for such set of standards to ensure quality delivery of ALS programs.

SEC. 15. Partnership with Government Agencies. - To effectively

deliver quality ALS programs, the DepEd shall partner with the following
government agencies in the implementation of this Act:

(a) CHED - The CHED shall assist the DepEd in promoting among
HEIs the admission of ALS A&E passers. It shall support the DepEd in the
development of college readiness supplemental programs and provide access
to scholarships. The CHED shall likewise develop a standardized and
formalized ALS curriculum for a specialized degree in ALS teaching;

(b) TESDA - The TESDA shall,assist the DepEd in equipping ALS

learners with technical-vocational skills and provide access to national
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0
certification, as applicable, to improve their* work readiness. It shall support
the DepEd in implementing post-program support activities including
providing access to scholarships;

(c) Department of Labor and Employment - The Department of Labor

and Employment shall promote gainful employment, on-the-job training, and
apprenticeship opportunities for ALS learners;

(d) Department of Trade and Industry - The Department of Trade and

Industry, in partnership with the DepEd, shall promote opportunities for
entrepreneurship, including access to micro-financing and seed capital to
ALS learners;

(e) Department of Agriculture - The Department of Agriculture, in

partnership with the DepEd, shall develop a training program for ALS
learners and promote opportunities for agricultural entrepreneurship,
including easy access to credit;

(f) Department of Social Welfare and Development - The Department

of Social Welfare and Development shall support the DepEd by sharing its
community mapping data, referring prospective learners, and providing
access to other social services to ALS learners;

(g) Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) -- The

Department of the Interior and Local Government shall help enlist the support
of LGUs as DepEd partners in the implementation of ALS programs. The
DepEd shall coordinate with the DILG on matters requiring LGU
participation including, but not limited to, the generation and mapping of data
related to education as a dimension of poverty under Republic Act No. 11315
or the “Community-Based Monitoring System Act’’;

(h) Department of Justice - The Department of Justice shall

collaborate with the DepEd to facilitate, expand, and strengthen the
implementation of ALS programs for persons deprived of liberty;

(i) National Commission on Indigenous Peoples - The National

Commission on Indigenous Peoples shall assist the DepEd to develop a
culturally responsive curriculum that respects and takes into account the
indigenous knowledge system and practices and indigenous learning systems.
Such curriculum shall be integrated with the prescribed ALS curriculum; 3

(j) Department of Information and Communications Technology -

The Department of Information and Communications Technology shall help
the DepEd in the ALS implementation by providing digital resources to the
various ALS CLCs and guidance for the digital literacy component of the
ALS K to 12 BEC and the ALS NFE programs;
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1
(k) Department of Health - The Department of Health shall assist
ALS Teachers in the delivery of health education and other services that
promote the health and well-being of ALS learners, especially female
childbearing youth and adult learners. It shall partner with the DepEd in
providing ALS programs for qualified patients of its various drug treatment
and rehabilitation centers; and

(l) Such other relevant government agencies whose mandated

functions and mechanisms are necessary to effectively and sustainably
implement the ALS programs.

SEC. 16. Partnership with LGUs. - The DepEd shall partner with
LGUs in the delivery of ALS programs to their constituents. LGUs shall, in
partnership with other government agencies and stakeholders, help to identify
and mobilize prospective ALS learners, provide access to conducive learning
environment, contribute available resources to ALS programs, such as
Community ALS Implementors and ALS CLC sites, promote post-program
activities, and introduce local innovations as may be necessary.

SEC. 17. Local School Board. - The Local School Board, established
pursuant to Republic Act No. 7160 or the “Local Government Code of 1991”,
shall perform the following additional functions in the delivery of ALS
programs:

(a) Coordinate ALS implementation with the DepEd at the city or

municipal level, including the identification of priority ALS programs,
provision’ of' technical assistance to ALS Teachers, program monitoring and
evaluation, and coordination with government and private sector partners for
post-program support activities;

(b) Coordinate with the DepEd the determination of the annual

supplementary budgetary needs for the operation and maintenance of ALS
programs within the city or municipality;

(c) Ensure the implementation of community literacy mapping

activities within the city or municipality and coordinate with the barangays,
the private sector, and other agencies in the identification of out-of-school
children in special cases and adults, who have not yet completed their basic
education; and

(d) Coordinate with the DepEd regarding the provision, operation and
maintenance of ALS CLCs.

SEC. 18. Special Education Fund Authorization. - Notwithstanding the

provisions of Sections 235 and 272 of the Local Government Code of 1991,
the Local School Boards shall be authorized to set aside a portion of the
proceeds of the Special Education Fund for the delivery of ALS programs
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2
within the LGUs’ respective areas of jurisdiction, including, but not limited
to, the hiring of additional Community ALS Implementors within the LGU’s
area of jurisdiction.

SEC. 19. Mandatory Annual Review and Impact Assessment of the

ALS Program. - The DepEd, in partnership with LGUs and the private sector,
shall conduct a mandatory annual review of the ALS program, and submit
such annual report to Congress to measure its effectiveness and ensure its
proper implementation.

An evaluation system shall be established to assess the impact of the

ALS program and the progress of the learners who have completed the
program.

SEC. 20. Prohibition from Collection of Fees. - All DepEd ALS

programs are free of charge and collection of all kinds of fees, costs or
charges shall not be allowed. ALS Teachers, Community ALS Implementors,
and officers of DepEd administered CLCs found to have violated this
provision shall be held administratively liable.

SEC. 21. Tax Incentives. — Any donation, contribution, or grant, in

cash or services, whether local or foreign, which may be made by individuals
and organizations, including private entities w’hich shall provide the
appropriate services, materials, anti delivery support services for the
promotion of the ALS program, shall be exempt from the donor’s tax and the
cost of which shall be considered as an allowable deduction from the gross
income in the computation of the income tax of the donor in accordance with
the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

SEC. 22. Transportation and Teaching Aid Allowance for ALS

Teachers and Community ALS Implementors. — Notwithstanding the receipt
of special hardship and cash allowances, ALS Teachers and Community ALS
Implementors shall be entitled to their corresponding transportation and
teaching aid allowances subject to guidelines that may be issued by the
DepEd.

SEC. 23. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the

implementation of this Act shall be charged against those authorized in the
current appropriations of the DepEd. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the
continued implementation of this Act, including the construction or provision
of the ALS CLCs and the payment of transportation and teaching aid
allowance for ALS Teachers and Community ALS Implementors, shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 24. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within ninety (90)

days from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd, in consultation with
concerned government agencies and other education stakeholders, shall
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3
formulate the rules and regulations implementing the provisions of this Act.
The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) issued pursuant to this
section shall take effect thirty (30) days after its publication in a newspaper of
general circulation.

SEC. 25. Transitory Provision. - All existing ALS programs, including

ALS centers or facilities, established pursuant to the provisions of Republic
Act No. 9155 or the “Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001” shall
continue to operate pursuant to, and be regulated by, the provisions of this
Act and its IRR.
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SEC. 26. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held

invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not so declared shall remain
in force and effect.

SEC. 27. Repealing Clause. - All laws, orders, and rules and
regulations contrary to, or inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 28. Effectivity. - Notwithstanding the non-issuance of the IRR,

this Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

LORD J/XY Q. VELASCO VICENTE . SOTTO III

ALLA President the Senate
Speaker of the House
of Representatives

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1365 and House
Bill No. 6910 was passed by the Senate of the Philippines on October 6, 2020
and the House of Representatives in a special session on October 16, 2020.
Plouse o f Representatives

JOCELIA BIGHANI C. S1PIN MYRA MARIE D. VlLLARICA

Secretary General Secretary of the Senate

President of the Philippines

o
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
PRRD 2016 - 016215

OfHce of the President

MAtACA^AWG RECOUPS Ch
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