LINGAYEN, Pangasinan: Felicitas Viray was full of pleasure when she arrived on the Pangasinan Coaching Heart right here on Monday, September 19.
She awoke early that morning and traveled for one-and-a-half hours from her place in Barangay Tobor, Malasiqui city to this capital city to attend a commencement ceremony — her commencement from junior highschool.
Viray, 68, was the oldest among the many 1,667 junior highschool graduates for college 12 months 2021-2022 after passing the portfolio evaluation within the Division of Training’s Different Studying System (ALS).
NEVER TOO OLD Felicitas Viray, 68, is the oldest among the many 1,667 junior highschool graduates for college 12 months 2021-2022 underneath the Division of Training’s Different Studying System in Pangasinan on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. PHOTO BY GABRIEL L. CARDINOZA
The ALS is a studying system that gives alternatives for out-of-school youth and grownup learners to develop primary and practical literacy expertise to allow them to finish primary schooling.
“Sa wakas (lastly),” Viray stated as she wore a white commencement robe handed to her by one of many ALS academics.
Viray, who’s now a grandmother, may have simply chosen to remain residence and attended the commencement ceremonies on-line, identical to half of the full variety of graduates, who got here from the province’s 22 cities comprising Pangasinan colleges division one.
However she stated she didn’t wish to miss the chance to march and personally obtain her diploma.
Viray stated she ought to have completed highschool when she was younger. However at the moment, she stated, she needed to give option to her older brother due to her household’s financial difficulties.
She missed going again to highschool when she obtained employed and, later, obtained married.
However she realized that it “is rarely too late to chase your desires.”
“It was my husband and my kids who inspired me to attend ALS. They instructed me, “You are able to do it. End your highschool,'” Viray stated.
Ely Ubaldo, colleges division superintendent, instructed the graduates that the ALS commencement day was probably the most particular among the many faculty graduations in her division.
“It’s because every one among you has a narrative of wrestle, of dealing with and overcoming challenges earlier than you acquired your diploma at this time,” stated Ubaldo.
“I hope that your diploma will function an inspiration so that you can work tougher to attain your objectives in life,” she added.
Gov. Ramon “Mon-Mon” Guico third, the ceremony’s visitor speaker, urged the graduates to proceed finding out till they earn a school diploma or a certificates from the Technical Training and Expertise Improvement Authority.
“So long as we nonetheless breathe, allow us to not waste the time. Allow us to seize the chance,” Guico stated.
Guico stated that when he was mayor of Binalonan city, he supported ALS as a result of he believed that schooling is a superb equalizer.
Guico stated that to supply free school schooling to his townmates in Binalonan at the moment, he established the College of Japanese Pangasinan (UEP), which is run by the city’s authorities.
“Now, extra native authorities models (LGU) within the province wish to set up their very own group school or college,” he stated.
Apart from the UE P, the opposite LGU-run faculties are the Urdaneta Metropolis College in Urdaneta Metropolis, and the newly opened Bayambang Polytechnic School in Bayambang city.
