Marching on with Hope: 49 Arnold Janssen Learners Celebrate Graduation

📍 Sacred Heart Parish Shrine, Quezon City

📅 June 17, 2025 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

The Sacred Heart Parish Shrine in Quezon City was filled with joy, hope, and celebration as 49 Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners were honored during the 2025 ALS Graduation Ceremony of the Arnold Janssen Catholic Mission Foundation for ALS (AJ ALS).

The afternoon began with a solemn Baccalaureate Mass presided over by Fr. Randy Flores, SVD, Acting Executive Director of AJCMFI for ALS, and Fr. Judy Bañez, SVD, Program Director. Their presence and leadership grounded the event in gratitude and prayer.

A total of 46 high school and 3 elementary completers were celebrated for their determination to pursue education despite life’s challenges. These graduates hailed from five dedicated ALS learning centers in the National Capital Region (NCR):

• Holy Spirit ALS Learning Center

• ALS Sacred Heart

• FCJ ALS Learning Center

• ALS Holy Family of ARCAM

• AJ Kalinga ALS

In a significant gesture of validation, Fr. Judy Bañez, SVD, formally presented the graduates to the Department of Education (DepEd). They were received and confirmed by Dr. Gemma Abanilla, Ph.D., Education Program Specialist for ALS at SDO Quezon City.

Guest Speaker Miss Charis Mendoza-Frianeza

🎤 An Inspirational Journey: Guest Speaker Gng. Charis Mendoza-Frianeza

The ceremony’s highlight was the moving message of Gng. Charis Mendoza-Frianeza, an ALS alumna whose life story served as a beacon of what is possible through perseverance.

Originally from Polillo, Quezon, she completed her elementary studies at Taluong Elementary School and passed the ALS Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Exam in 2017. Refusing to stop there, she pursued further studies, earned multiple TESDA certifications in welding (SMAW NC II and III, GMAW NC II, FCAW NC II), and is now a National TVET Trainer Certificate holder. In 2019, she even returned to AJCMFI as a SMAW trainer—proof of how education can truly come full circle.

🎓 Honoring ALS Facilitators: Champions Behind the Scenes

The ceremony also paid tribute to the unsung heroes of ALS—the facilitators who walked alongside the learners:

• Ma’am Stella Mariz Talco, LPT – AJ Kalinga ALS

• Ma’am Rosabella Vermonte, LPT – Holy Spirit ALS

• Ma’am Jennifer Bohol, LPT – FCJ ALS

• Ma’am Lara Jean Aguilar, LPT – ALS Sacred Heart

• Ma’am Janeth Comon, LPT – ALS Holy Family

• Sr. Adora Molina, SSPS and Sr. Pinky SSPS were also around. They take care of the Holy Spirit ALS Learning Center.

  
  

NCR AJ ALS Facilitators

🎶 A heartfelt performance of “Thanks to You” by Tyler Collins brought tears to many eyes, as graduates dedicated the song to their beloved teachers who guided them every step of the way.

Before the ceremony closed, Miss Ma. Isabel Caragay, Assistant Program Director and Curriculum Head of AJ ALS, reminded everyone of the deeper significance of this year’s theme:

“Henerasyon ng Pagkakaisa: Kaagapay sa Bagong Pilipinas”—a call to unity, transformation, and inclusive growth in the country’s future.

🎤 Program Emcee: Ma’am Stella Mariz Talco

This graduation was more than a ceremony—it was a celebration of hope, a tribute to resilience, and a reaffirmation that learning knows no limits.