BONTOC, Mt. Province -- Aiming to eradicate illiteracy in the province, the Provincial Government continues its support to alternative learning by providing financial assistance.

According to Susan Aminor, ES-ALS coordinator, the Provincial Government has hired for this year 48 Alternative Learning System (ALS) facilitators, which now has 720 enrollees.

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Each facilitator teaches 15 illiterate adults or out-of-school youths for five months.

They receive a monthly honoraria of P2,000 from the province.

Aminor said there are also ALS facilitators holding two classes in the municipality of Barlig who are paid by the Municipal Government.

The Provincial Government has also allocated fund for the Makabasa ya Makasulat Koma San Iiyon-a (MMaksi) program, which purchases school supplies used by the students and teachers.

This program has also contributed to the improved literacy rate of the province.

The MMaksi was conceptualized by the DepEd Division Office in response to Executive Order 60 issued by Governor Maximo B. Dalog, requiring graduating high school students and student teachers at the Mt. Province State Polytechnic State College, the lone tertiary education institution in the province, to teach at least one illiterate elder or out-of-school youth how to read and write.

Aside from the provincial paid ALS facilitators, the Department of Education (DepEd) has also hired 46 ALS facilitators.

There are also classes conducted by 12 mobile teachers hired by DepEd and 14 teachers hired by the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (Bals) who are assigned to the various municipalities in the province, Aminor added.

The Presidential Literacy Program Oyster has also hired ten literacy workers who are assigned in the municipalities except Tadian, Besao and Barlig.

These workers will still have to undergo regional training, Aminor said.

The Unified Bals has also allocated P400,000 for the ALS program in the province, of which, P100,000 each will go to the identified municipality which is willing to give a counterpart.

The amount will be used for the honoraria of hired teachers at P1,600 monthly per teacher for ten months.

"If the Municipal Government provides its counterpart, their honoraria will increase," Aminor explained. (Juliet B. Saley)