The Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office (SDO) of Manila – Alternative Learning System (ALS) conducted an event titled “Celebrating Milestones in Micro-certification” on October 13, 2025, at Rosauro Almario Elementary School.
The event recognized 408 ALS learners from SDO Manila who successfully underwent assessments and met the standards for micro-certification.
The micro-certification study for ALS in the Philippines, launched in 2020, is a collaborative research project between the University of Melbourne – Melbourne Metrics and the University of the Philippines – Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC). The initiative is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines and the DepEd – Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE).
The current phase of the study, which began in early 2024, is supported by UNICEF through the generous contribution of Nokia Headquarters. Among the eight participating DepEd SDOs, SDO Manila is the first to conduct an awarding ceremony for micro-certified ALS learners.
In total, 2,854 ALS learners from the eight participating SDOs will receive micro-certificates under this initiative.
ALS learner receiving a micro-certificate from UNICEF Philippines Education Specialist Maria Melizza Tan, ACTRC Director Marlene Ferido, DepEd-BAE Chiefs Andrew Villarba and Roderick Corpuz (from right to left).
ACTRC Director Marlene Ferido and ACTRC Reseach Officer Lalaine Bagui with BAE Education Program Specialists Irene Barzaga and Jomar Allam at DepEd’s “Celebrating Milestones in Micro-certification” on October 13, 2025.