Zamboanga City, Philippines — As schools across the country opened their doors for a new academic year, Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) also welcomed a new batch of learners through the SUGPAT Alternative School, marking the beginning of School Year 2026–2027.
Implemented by the Ateneo Learning and Teaching Excellence Center (ALTEC) in partnership with the Department of Education Alternative Learning System (DepEd ALS) Zamboanga City Division, the SUGPAT Alternative School provides out-of-school youth (OSY) with an opportunity to complete their Junior High School education while developing life skills, leadership competencies, and community engagement experience.
The opening day brought together learners, parents, and guardians at the Benjamin Lim Go Learning Center in AdZU’s Lantaka Campus for a Parent and Guardian Orientation. The session introduced families to the program’s goals, expectations, learning journey, and support mechanisms, while emphasizing the important role of parents and guardians in the learners’ success.
This school year, learners from urabn poor and indigenous peoples communities in Zamboanga City begin their journey with SUGPAT. Beyond the Alternative Learning System curriculum, learners will participate in activities focused on personal development, employability, project management, leadership formation, and community engagement.
For many learners and their families, the opening of classes represents more than the start of a school year. It is an opportunity to pursue a second chance at education and to work toward a more hopeful future. Through SUGPAT, learners are accompanied in their academic journey while being encouraged to discover their potential and become active contributors to their communities.
As a Jesuit university committed to educational inclusion and social transformation, Ateneo de Zamboanga University continues to create pathways for young people who have been left behind by conventional educational systems. Through partnerships with DepEd ALS and local communities, AdZU remains steadfast in its mission of forming persons for and with others and ensuring that access to quality learning opportunities reaches those at the margins.
Now on its third batch, the SUGPAT Alternative School continues to embody its guiding belief: Bawat Pangarap Mahalaga (Every Dream Matters).