US, DepEd empower ALS teachers in Davao

In a move to strengthen the country’s Alternative Learning System (ALS), the United States government partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) to train 40 newly hired ALS teachers in Davao City through a hands-on workshop held on 4 and 5 June.

Organized by the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Office (RELO) and DepEd’s Davao City Division, the two-day training marked the first U.S.-supported ALS workshop in the city. The event was led by two American education experts under the U.S. Department of State’s English Language Specialist Program.

Titled “Embracing Student-centered Learning: Art as Expression,” the workshop equipped participants with practical strategies and tools to deliver more engaging, participatory lessons that empower learners as active contributors to their education. It featured teaching demonstrations, peer-to-peer learning, and guidance on sustainable classroom projects tailored to the ALS curriculum.

“The insights and strategies shared by our American teacher trainers are designed to significantly enhance the learning experience for ALS students,” said Jeff McIlvenna, the U.S. Embassy’s Regional English Language Officer. “This initiative underscores the United States' direct investment in the professional development of Filipino educators, reinforcing our shared dedication to expanding access to quality education and fostering human potential across the Philippines.”

Participants were also introduced to free English language teaching resources developed by the U.S. government, aimed at supporting curriculum development and promoting dynamic classroom activities.

For DepEd, the training supports a broader goal of inclusive education, especially for learners outside the formal school system.

“DepEd’s ALS champions inclusivity by reaching the lost, the least, and the last,” said Reynante Solitario, superintendent of DepEd’s Davao City Division. “Supporting ALS teachers is vital so they can teach better and ensure that every learner, regardless of circumstance, is embraced and given a chance to thrive.”

ALS is a parallel learning system in the Philippines that offers basic education to out-of-school youth and adults unable to access traditional schooling due to economic or geographic barriers.

The Davao training is the latest in RELO’s ongoing efforts to support Philippine education. Past programs include an early literacy initiative in Negros Occidental that improved reading outcomes among elementary students and an English training program for Philippine Army personnel in Tarlac.

RELO also fosters long-term educational ties, with three American English Language Fellows currently wrapping up a year of teacher training at universities in Bohol and Leyte. Additionally, five new two-year English Access Scholarship Programs are being launched across the country to provide underserved Filipino teenagers with English language instruction and cultural exchange opportunities.