6.40% of the population in the Philippines were considered as unemployed. Some of them are not able to have a job suitable on their finished career; while the others didn’t even manage to finish their schooling because of poverty. And by that, 25.8% of the Filipinos are currently suffering from what we called poverty line.

            Nena was once one of them. Her parents don’t have a stable job, a hand-to-mouth way of living as you may say. But it all changes after she graduated in high school. Although she didn’t make it to college, she has now an idea how to improve their lives. It is through the help of the subject called Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE).

            Starting from Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PECs), the learning area she studied and up to the basic form of accountancy and bookkeeping. Those are her tools in order to start a small business. A business that help her parents in lifting their family out of poverty…

            It clearly shows the importance of the TLE subject in the Filipino community; specially on those who are not that lucky to even place a single foot in a university or college. TLE acts as the sword and shield of the Filipino youth to fight against the situation they were in.

            Knowing that Filipinos are business-minded, TLE not just give them ideas for business, but also it teaches them the dos and don’ts that they must observe when they are already on the run.

            All they need to have, aside from the knowledge in business, are to be brave on taking risk and to be optimistic at all times. And most of all, faith in God knowing that through Him, nothing is impossible.

            Everyone wants to have a better life. Everyone wants their way of living to improve. Everyone who is in the poverty line wants to experience a haven; wherein they will not feel distress for their next meal the other day. And everybody wants to witness the decrease on poverty rate.

            Every Filipino wants that to happen. But the question is how?

TLE is one of the many answers that the education can offer. But of course, it is our decision anyway. Whether we will go with the flow or we will go against it and make our own path, which is, to have better life.

By: Gina L. Calingay | Teacher I | Bonifacio Camacho National High School | Abucay, Bataan