25/03/2026
Seventy and Still Rising: 71-year-old ALS Learner nears graduation
At seventy, when most stories begin to settle into quiet routines, Perlita Matbangon Ariño stood on stage, receiving recognition for an achievement decades in the making.
Applause filled the hall during the school’s recognition program as Nanay Perlita accepted her award—an honor that symbolizes not just academic effort, but a dream that waited more than half a century to be fulfilled.
On Sunday, she will take another step forward as she officially graduates from Senior High School under the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
For Nanay Perlita, the moment was more than a ceremony—it was the closing of a chapter that began in 1969, when she was only in Grade 6.
Her schooling stopped abruptly when her father fell ill. With the family struggling to survive, books were replaced with work in the rice fields.
“Kahit ayaw ko, kailangan kong huminto sa pag-aaral kasi nagkasakit ang tatay ko. Kailangan kong magtrabaho sa palayan na sinasaka niya para may pangtustos sa araw-araw,” Nanay Perlita recalled.
Raised by farmer parents in Ormoc, Leyte, she learned early that life itself could be a teacher. Instead of classrooms and notebooks, her lessons came from long days in the fields—patience measured not by semesters but by harvest seasons.
She was supposed to grow up with a sibling, but fate proved unkind. Her only brother died as a baby, leaving her to navigate life mostly on her own.
Years passed, and the dream of finishing school quietly faded into memory. The lines on her face became silent reminders of decades spent working and caring for others.
Then the pandemic arrived—an unexpected turning point.
While caring for the child of a church companion, Nanay Perlita came across a learning module.
Curiosity led her to read.
Recognition followed.
“Noong nag-pandemic, may nabasa akong module ng inaalagaan kong bata. Naalala ko na yung mga lessons na nasa module ay parehas ng mga lessons na tinuturo sa amin noong unang panahon. Bigla kong naisip na baka pwede pa… baka pwede pang bumalik sa pag-aaral at mangarap muli,” she said.
That simple moment rekindled a dream she had set aside for more than five decades.
Determined to continue what she had once left behind, she enrolled in the Alternative Learning System, proving that education does not belong to a single stage of life.
Today, she studies alongside classmates decades younger than her. In the classroom, they patiently guide her through new lessons and modern concepts.
In return, Nanay Perlita offers them wisdom shaped by years of life experience—lessons that cannot be found in textbooks.
Outside school, she continues to work as a yaya, caring for a child whose family has supported her educational journey. For one year and eight months, she has balanced work and studies, her days filled with responsibilities but strengthened by determination.
“Mag-isa lang ako sa buhay. Yung kapatid ko, baby pa lang namatay na. Hindi rin ako binigyan ng Panginoon ng asawa, pero masaya pa rin ako sa kung anong meron ako ngayon,” she shared.
Despite the challenges, she found kindness from people who believed in her dream.
“Supportive yung mga amo ko sa akin. Sila mismo ang nag-adjust ng schedule nila para makapag-aral ako. Minsan nga ay binibigyan nila ako ng oras para makagawa ng mga assignments ko,” Nanay Perlita said proudly.
As she held her recognition award today, the moment symbolized more than academic achievement—it represented perseverance, resilience, and the courage to begin again.
For Nanay Perlita, age may bend the body, but it cannot stop the will to learn.
And when she walks across the stage on Sunday to receive her diploma, it will not just mark the end of her senior high school journey.
It will mark the fulfillment of a dream that patiently waited fifty-six years to come true.
✍️Airazan M.
credits: The Reflector-DRANHS
