Written by: Diane V Lim
Photos taken by: AdZU Communications Office
Zamboanga City, January 25, 2023 – In a momentous event held at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) Lantaka Campus, the AdZU School of Education, in partnership with the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, AHA Learning Center, and the AdZU Community, proudly launched the Ateneo Learning and Teaching Excellence Center (ALTEC). This collaborative effort aims to address the challenges faced by the Philippine educational system and revitalize the learning experience for our youth through the development and empowerment of educators.
Members of the AdZU Community, Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, AHA Learning Center, and DepEd Zamboanga City attend the launch of ALTEC.
“The road to establishing ALTEC is a narration of an eight-year-long journey of partners in education and the development sector who believed that every dream matters, especially for young people,” Mr. Kiko Miranda, Founding Director of the SUGPAT Program, said in his message of support. Listen to Mr. Miranda’s message here.
The launch of ALTEC marks a significant milestone for the University and underscores its commitment to providing equitable and high-quality education. The ceremony gathered the key stakeholders of the center, including esteemed officials from the University and partners in the Department of Education, to celebrate this remarkable achievement.
Mr. John Mayo Enriquez, Assistant to the President for Social Development, warmly welcomed the attendees with his opening remarks. “The creation of the center is strategic in order to provide support and assistance to the teachers, administrators, implementers, and our community practitioners. It is their mission to educate, and inform future leaders who will provide quality education as well as a way of life for people in Mindanao and become enablers and co-creators in its lifelong mission to improve our education system in the country,“ said Mr. Mayo when he shared the purpose of the creation of the center. (Listen to the entire opening remarks of Mr. John Mayo Enriquez here.)
Mr Rogin Eribal, Founding Director of ALTEC, delivers the rationale and history of the center. He unveils the logo of the center.
Following this, Mr Rogin Christ J Eribal, Founding Director of ALTEC, presented the rationale behind the center, recounting the humble beginnings of SUGPAT and its transformative journey in empowering out-of-school youth. Mr. Eribal described ALTEC as “a co-creator of sustainable solutions that our teachers can use in navigating the challenging educational landscape we have today…a companion to learners in formal and the Alternative Learning System who continue to dream and strive to learn and succeed in life…a home of innovations in teaching and learning to deliver inclusive, equitable and continuous quality education. This is our ALTEC, a servant leader who commits to focus not on its limitations, but on the potential it possesses.” (Listen to Mr Rogin Eribal’s speech here.) During the ceremony, he unveiled the official logo of ALTEC, symbolizing the center’s vision and aspirations.
Jaton Zulueta (left), Founder of AHA Learning Center shares his experience in Teach Anywhere. Dr Anton Lim (right), Co-Founder of the Yellow Boat of Hope, expresses his excitement for the launch of ALTEC.
Distinguished keynote speakers shared their vision and plans in partnership with ALTEC. Mr Jaton Zulueta, Founder and Executive Director of AHA Learning Center, emphasized the importance of nurturing hope in the face of challenges, encouraging individuals to become agents of change in society. Mr Zulueta closed his message with, “‘Tayo ang pagbabagong ating hinihintay’, ibig pong sabihin noon, unang-una, hindi po tayo maghihintay ng iba pa para tumulong— tayo na po ‘yon. Unang-una, mayroon po tayong lakas ng loob, may tapang na gawin ‘yong pagbabago kasi naniniwala po ako na kung kami lang ni Doc at kasama namin na nakagawa ng ganito, paano pa kaya kung kasama kayo? Tayo ang pagbabagong ating hinihintay.” (Listen to Mr Jaton Zulueta’s entire message here.)
Dr Anton Lim, Co-Founder of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm for ALTEC because it “provided us a home for crazy ideas because crazy people are here also.” He discussed plans for institutionalizing existing programs while exploring new avenues for collaboration, “That’s the only way: invite more people and create more opportunities for them.” (Listen to Dr Anton Lim’s entire message here.) He expressed his confidence in the ability of ALTEC to achieve its fullest potential in the near future.
Highlighting the event was the signing of a memorandum of agreement between ALTEC, AHA Learning Center, and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, solidifying their commitment to work hand in hand towards the common goal of enhancing education. The ceremony also featured a presentation of generation donations from Benjamin Go Investments, providing crucial financial support to propel the initiatives of the center.
Dr Rabajante (left), Dean of School of Education, shares her message of support to ALTEC. Dir Almayda (right), Director of Bureau of Alternative Education of the Department of Education, delivers her message of gratitude and support.
Messages of support and testimonies were shared by esteemed individuals, including Dr. Dorothy Joann Lei Labrador-Rabajante, Dean of the AdZU School of Education, Dir. Marilette Almayda of the Bureau of Alternative Education of the Department of Education, and Mr. Marco Alfino Miranda, Founder of the SUGPAT Program and Assistant to the President for Advancement. Their inspiring words further emphasized the importance of collaboration and collective efforts in driving meaningful change in education.
“With the establishment of ALTEC, we at the School of Education are excited, and we look forward to strong partnerships in implementing programs and activities on teacher professional development, quality assurance and accreditation for schools, and enhancement of curriculum and instruction toward quality education for the benefit of the Filipino youth,” said Dr Rabajante, Dean of the School of Education. Listen to Dr. Rabajante’s message of support here.
“We are very happy and we look forward to partnership with you, especially with the launch of Ateneo Learning and Teaching Excellence Center, wherein we can be assured that our ALS teachers in Zamboanga Peninsula and in BARMM will be benefiting from,” Dir Almayda said in her message of support. Listen to Dir. Almayda’s entire message here.
Closing the event, University President Fr Karel S San Juan SJ, expressed his gratitude and optimism for the future endeavors of ALTEC, ”I am sure that through ALTEC, AdZU will learn a lot from you.” (Listen to Fr Karel’s closing remarks here.) He eagerly anticipates the transformative impact of the cent on the educational landscape, working towards the mission of making quality education accessible to the country’s youth.
The launch of ALTEC signifies a significant step forward in the pursuit of quality education. Through the collaboration of passionate individuals and organizations, remarkable changes can be achieved. As we continue on this journey, we are committed to building a better and brighter future for our country, one empowered educator and transformed student at a time.
