After obtaining permission to conduct research at Tanglaw Pag-asa, I scheduled a visit to the center to familiarize myself with the project site, including the facilities and services available to children in conflict with the law under their care. Upon entering the building, residents immediately greeted me and offered to accompany me to the office. As I walked through the lobby, I noticed how residents seemed to have fully adjusted and enjoyed the company of their peers. Some watched television while others were in the office, helping with paperwork. It made me think about how important it is to provide a home-like environment for CICLs in youth rehabilitation centers to help them slowly adapt. 

I discussed the project’s objectives and requirements with Ms. Carmela Agustin, the social welfare officer, and asked if I could have an interview with her to which she agreed.  During my interview with Ms. Agustin, I gained a lot of information about my project site. Tanglaw Pag-asa was established under the Juvenile Justice Law and has been supervised by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) since 2016. With the help of various organizations, they provide education, health and nutrition, and counseling services for children’s holistic development. Challenges facing social workers include handling children with behavioral problems and those refusing to participate in interventions. She also mentioned that some residents lack age-appropriate knowledge and skills, emphasizing the need to conduct research on the effectiveness of the learning setup and the support these children need. Also worth noting is their reliance on the Internet when answering modules, which defeats the purpose of the learning activities. This prompted me to focus on the learning experiences of Tanglaw Pag-asa residents for my special project. 

It feels great to know that many individuals and groups, including students, religious groups, and health workers, express their desire to share their knowledge and resources with CICLs at Tanglaw Pag-asa. I have always believed in the importance of stakeholder engagement, especially in programs aimed at children and youth in special cases. 

On my second visit to Tanglaw, I had the opportunity to explore the facilities available at the center. It has a library where they can look for reference materials for various subjects. Sports and recreational facilities where residents can spend their free time are also available at the center. They also have an activity area for team-building and arts and crafts activities. Other facilities include a clinic for their health needs, prayer and isolation rooms, where they can self-reflect. I noticed how these facilities are specially designed for their physical, intellectual, social, and emotional well-being. 

While looking around the place, I was also able to observe the activities residents enjoy doing.  Some of them are artistically inclined, others love to read books, and some are into sports. The wide variety of activities provided by Tanglaw aims to cater to their diverse strengths and interests.

To gain knowledge of the practices followed by St. Martin de Porres Catholic School in Guiguinto, Bulacan in distributing and retrieving modules, I interviewed the school's Alternative Learning System (ALS) Coordinator. Students have at most three months to complete the assigned modules, providing them enough time to process the information presented to them. This is especially important as the Cognitive Load Theory states that when the working memory is overwhelmed with information, it may negatively affect learning outcomes. SHS teachers also work closely with Tanglaw Pag-asa staff to provide feedback on students’ academic performance. Constant and timely feedback allows students to identify areas for improvement, potentially leading to better learning outcomes. 

The materials I prepared before collecting data included consent forms, interview guides, and recording devices. I explained to the participants the details of the consent forms and gave a quick rundown of the questions included in the interview to make them aware of what to expect in the data collection process. With participants’ permission, interviews were recorded and transcribed. Interview transcripts proved to be useful in analyzing the data comprehensively and efficiently. 

I was able to establish rapport with respondents by allowing them to express their thoughts freely and paying attention to what they were saying. When respondents feel understood, they will be more comfortable answering questions from the researcher. An insight I gained from the interviews was that learning opportunities must not only be accessible but also tailored to learners’ unique needs. Moreover, learners in special circumstances may require additional support, especially in distance learning modalities with limited supervision from teachers.

The subjects offered in the Bachelor of Education Studies (BES) Curriculum aim to equip students with theoretical and practical knowledge grounded in teaching and learning principles and processes. The EDS 199 Special Project allows BES students like me to assess our understanding of concepts and theories and help solve research or instructional problems in our chosen institutions. A lesson I learned from my special project is that while progress is being made in making education in the country more accessible, there remains a need for continuous assessment of teaching and learning practices, as learners’ needs are continuously evolving. Encouraging collaboration between educational institutions, youth rehabilitation centers, and CICLs’ family members also helps ensure they are provided with adequate support, especially when faced with various challenges. I also learned the importance of goal-setting through the project. It allows you to stay focused and monitor your progress. In any activity, proactively identifying and addressing potential problems is also essential.