NBSC’s Institute for Computer Studies Concludes Digital Citizenship Project for Community ALS Implementers
The Institute for Computer Studies (ICS) of Northern Bukidnon State College (NBSC) successfully held the culmination activity for its project titled “Empowering Community ALS Implementers through Digital Citizenship, Phase 2” on June 20, 2025, at Rooms 301–303, 3rd Floor, Student Welfare and Development Center, NBSC.
Funded by the Community Extension and Services Division (CESD) and led by Director Mr. Alven L. Gomez, the project aimed to equip Alternative Learning System (ALS) implementers with essential digital competencies to strengthen community education through technology.
The culmination event brought together representatives from the seven participating districts: Manolo Fortich I to IV, Malitbog I, Baungon I, and Libona I, alongside partners from the Department of Education-ALS, NBSC administrators, and community stakeholders. The gathering celebrated the collaborative efforts and shared milestones of the program, emphasizing the power of digital empowerment in community-based education.
NBSC President Dr. Christie Jean Villanueva-Ganiera, Ed.D, CESE, expressed her full support through a video message, despite a prior engagement that prevented her from attending in person.
“I commend each of our completers for your dedication and commitment to empowering our out-of-school-youth and adult learners. Through your participation in this training, you have gained essential ICT skills and innovative teaching skills in creative teaching.”
She also shared insights from performance and learning coach Jim Kwik’s “3 Ms Framework”—Mindset, Motivation, and Method—as keys to unlocking one’s true potential. She challenged the participants to apply these principles in their daily lives. “You are already limitless, and now it’s time to unleash your full potential, and NBSC believes in you and the incredible work you are doing.”, she added.
Representing Dr. Ganiera at the event were NBSC’s newly appointed Legal Officer, Atty. Jag Iesu Iñigo G. Murillo, and the representative of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA), Curriculum Innovation Division Director Dr. Mary Cris J. Go.
The Department of Education-Bukidnon also reaffirmed its partnership through the presence of Education Program Specialist Mr. Alfredo G. De Los Santos, Jr., along with Manolo Fortich District I ALS Coordinator Ms. Kathlea Kristine C. De Los Santos and ALS teachers.
Mr. De Los Santos shared relevant facts about the number of ALS graduates compared to the high yearly percentage of dropouts in the Philippines. Emphasizing how the ALS is intended to serve “the least, the last and the lost, the deprived, depressed and underserved areas,” yet the number of regular ALS teachers is at a disadvantage compared to the number of possible target populations.
“On behalf of the School District Superintendent, Dr. Victoria V. Gazo, with the two ASDS, thank you so much, NBSC, for the program… Hopefully, in phase three, we will expand to the whole Bukidnon,” he shared.
The success of this initiative is best reflected in the voices of the ALS Implementers who directly experienced its impact. Trizia Nina A. Yap, an ALS Implementer from the Manolo Fortich District, described the program as transformative both professionally and personally:
“Joining the Empowering the Community ALS Implementers through Digital Citizenship program felt like being handed a brand-new digital toolbox. After years of surviving on chalk, markers, and pure improvisation, suddenly I was tinkering with computer hardware like a legit techy, coding like I was ready to reboot Maria Clara in the digital age, editing multimedia like a low-key content creator, designing with Canva confidence, and—plot twist—even building websites.”
This culminating activity affirms NBSC’s vision of fostering inclusive and community-responsive education. By integrating digital literacy into community-based learning systems, the initiative supports the college’s broader mission to champion technological advancement, uplift underserved sectors, and extend quality education beyond traditional classrooms. It reflects NBSC’s dedication to nation-building through accessible, innovative, and transformative educational programs.
