Motherhood no barrier to education

In 2022, when she was pregnant with her second child, Mary Jane Tabaque was offered a chance to finish junior high school.

Initially, she refused.

The 22-year-old mother just didn't think it was feasible.

It wasn't because she disliked going to school but that she thought her pregnancy would get in the way of her education – just like the first time.

That is what happened six years ago when she was pregnant with her eldest – no one was around to help her out.

Her husband was out all day, eking out a living as a construction worker. Her parents meanwhile had already split up, leading separate lives with their own partners and families.

As a result, Tabaque had no choice but to stop studying so that she could take care of her baby.

She didn't expect it to be any different the second time around.

It took some convincing from local officials in Tubungan, Iloilo, the isolated town where she lived. One hour west of Iloilo City, the provincial capital, the town is known for its Panay-Bukidnon inhabitants, an indigenous people's group to which Tabaque's husband belongs.

But after the officials’ persuasion, she relented.

Tabaque enrolled in an adult learning class for junior high school certification which she was able to complete while pregnant with her second child, now four months old.

This is because the course she took adjusted to her needs as a young mother who gave priority to her small family.

To this end, Tabaque was only required to go to class once a week – Wednesdays at 9 a.m. – and the assigned modules were sent to her home.

"I was able to finish answering the modules at night while the baby was asleep," said Tabaque, who has now received her junior high school certification.

Allowing Tabaque to study from home is just one of the many elements of an inclusive education system. It removes traditional barriers to learning, including age, language, gender, class and disabilities, among others.

Once Tabaque completed her junior high school education, she formed part of 31 other lifelong learners from her community who joined a 15-day skills training on Processed Food by Drying and Dehydration leading to Food Processing NC II.

Broadly speaking, Tabaque's decision to continue her schooling and learn new skills was made possible by the collaboration between the Tubungan local government, the Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the UK government-funded Skills for Prosperity Programme.

Implemented by the International Labour Organisation in the Philippines, the programme aims to strengthen skills training and lifelong learning, especially among marginalized groups.

While the group was predominantly female, it was as diverse as any in terms of age, status, educational attainment and work experience. Some homemakers in their mid-thirties had finished elementary school while several were adult learners, including a few who were former combatants.

Those enrolled in the skills training learned to make snacks out of root crops and other produce in ample supply in their localities. Tabaque, for her part, was able to make cookies, ice-cream, and chips from corn, a root crop in plentiful supply in her hometown. These products are now being sold in Iloilo City through support from the Tubungan local government.

"Having a better chance to earn for my family’s needs is possible through the skills I now possess, I know that a better life for me and my family is within reach," Tabaque said.