By Chito Chavez With its overwhelming success, the Quezon City government has organized anew the free Quezon City Community College (QCCC) program that hopes to bring back out-of-school youth, high school dropouts and solo parents to pursue their education. Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is currently in the midst of initiating talks with the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), Division of City Schools and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the enrolment of another batch hoping to finish school. Quezon City Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte (Mark Balmores) “The media always asks me what my office does for out-of-school youth. The Quezon City Community College program is our response. We started in one school and now we’ll be in three,” Belmonte said. The QCCC offers poor city residents a second shot at finishing school through one-year technical-vocational courses at TESDA and a special program under the prestigious Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) of ADMU. Classes are held in Commonwealth High School, Judge Feliciano Belmonte High School, and Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School. The first batch of 50 students has graduated in August, 47 of whom are already employed, according to Belmonte. “Now, people who dropped out of high school due to pregnancy, lack of interest, bad influences, etc. get a second chance. We’re happy to learn that 87 percent of our first graduates are gainfully employed,” she added. Aside from the technical courses and life skills training program of ACED, student beneficiaries are also provided with Alternative Learning System (ALS) by the Department of Education through the Division of City Schools in Quezon City. “DepEd gives them ALS to get the diploma, so then after they finish these courses they can be employed na (already) ‘cause they have a high school diploma, they have life skills, and then they have a TESDA accreditation,” Belmonte explained. A women’s rights advocate, Belmonte said she included young mothers in the program who were forced to drop out of school due to pregnancy. “They’re the most vulnerable, the ones we call ‘batang ina’ (young mother). Mostly uneducated, they probably don’t even know how to raise a child, especially those young single moms, let alone earn a living,” she pointed out. Initial interview and screening of applicants have started on Tuesday, February 6. Interested applicants may go to the following schools and barangay halls to fill out an application form: • Commonwealth High School (look for Josephine Rodriguez, Elienasa Geniblazo and Lorelina Morera); • Barangay Hall, Commonwealth (c/o Kagawad Rowena Lucas); • Justice Cecilla Muñoz Palma High School (c/o Maria Rhodoea Maliao); • Barangay Hall, Payatas (c/o Kagawad Elizabeth Carlobos); and • Judge Feliciano Belmonte High School (c/o Lizette Ann Tabalanza or Mr. Severino Osayen). Classes will start in April.