Cagayan grandma, 78, finishes senior high

By Artemio A. Dumlao

BAGUIO CITY — In the quiet town of Lal-lo in Cagayan in northern Philippines, Genoveva M. Andaya, 78, proved that age is not a barrier to learning after completing senior high school through the government’s Alternative Learning System (ALS).

On March 31, Ms. Andaya stood among the graduating students not as a guest or parent, but as a completer herself, earning her senior high school certificate decades after poverty forced her to drop out.

Like many in rural Philippine communities, schooling gave way to survival. Financial hardship compelled her to abandon her education early, a decision that stayed with her for most of her life.

For years, the unfinished chapter lingered. Eventually, she chose to return.

Ms. Andaya enrolled under the ALS, a program designed for out-of-school youth and adult learners.

She faced challenges beyond the usual academic demands, including learning to read and write again at an advanced age, according to the Cagayan Public Information Office (CPIO).

Despite the difficulty, she attended lessons regularly and completed requirements with discipline and resolve, it said in a statement.

The ALS program, which has helped thousands bridge education gaps, became Ms. Andaya’s second chance to finish what she once had to abandon.

She completed the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track in Home Economics at Magapit National High School in Lal-lo, graduating alongside classmates several decades younger.

Teachers and fellow learners, the CPIO said, saw in her persistence a quiet determination rather than a quest for recognition.

Ms. Andaya’s journey was less about personal acclaim than proving that learning does not expire, and that deferred dreams can still be fulfilled.

Her achievement has inspired residents in her community, offering an example of resilience and lifelong learning.

For Lal-lo, her graduation stands not only as a personal milestone, but as a reminder that the door to education remains open at any age.