SOAR Phoenix Rising - Phoenix Petroleum Philippines

GIVING BACK
PHOENIX ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
earning a beautiful living
The kids are out, but on a
sunny March Saturday
at Doña Asuncion Hizon
Elementary School, the classroom
rings with laughter. A group of
mostly women is inside, and you’d
think this was a parlor. Middleaged
women are blow-drying hair,
applying manicure and pedicure,
or doing make-up. Welcome to
the Cosmetology class of the
school’s Alternative Learning
System, a partnership with Phoenix
Petroleum.
There are more than a dozen
students eager to learn, and they
must bring along their customer
for the day to practice on. Last
February, some 10 Cosmetology
students conducted a Libreng Gupit
or Free Haircut at the school to
anyone who would come.
The students are taught by Ms.
Geneva Enumerable, who is on her
first term teaching Cosmetology.
She came to teach after the
teachers at Asuncion Hizon, who
were customers at her parlor, told
her about ALS. Her students are
mostly housewives and single
mothers, and they come from
towns afar.
“As their teacher, I want them
to learn. It’s not difficult because
they just have to have their own
materials, and they can start
earning money right away,” she
says. Aside from techniques, she
teaches them to value quality. “The
quality of their work, good or bad,
will reflect on them.”
Like the other courses of ALS
like Welding, Cosmetology is an
in-demand job. “It’s no longer like
before when people look down on
it,” says Enumerable. “Today, people
are more looks-conscious. They
want to go to the parlor. The course
is a big help to those who want a
job or extra income.”
A student, Nelson Tagaluguin,
26 / SOAR PHOENIX April-June 2011
Teacher Geneva Enumerable and ALS school coordinator
Edna Todenio
Learning to manicure
An ALS student is all dolledup,
thanks to student Nelson
Tagaluguin
Post-retirement, Juliet Morales
decided to open her own parlor
shifted from Electricity to
Cosmetology. Since he started
attending classes last February,
he has learned hair techniques on
cutting, curling, and relaxing. He
also trains at Enumerable’s parlor
and proudly states that he has a
few customers of his own.
Never too old to learn is what
Juliet Morales, 53, proves. She
retired early as a bank cashier but
soon was bored staying at home.
For the two school years since
Phoenix Foundation began
supporting the Alternative
Livelihood System program
in 2009, a total of 69 students
have graduated from livelihood
training. In partnership
with Doña Asuncion Hizon
Elementary School, the
Phoenix ALS program offers
free livelihood courses such as
welding, electronics, electrical,
plumbing, cell phone repair, and
cosmetology. Weekend classes
are also held for those who want
to finish high school. Since 2009,
33 have graduated.
After studying Cosmetology, Marilou Maca Dael
got a job abroad
When she learned about the ALS,
she enrolled so she could apply it to
her family and earn extra income.
She now has a small parlor, with
only her and an assistant. “Business
is doing good,” she says.
Marilou Maca Dael worked
as a caregiver in Lebanon and
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for 5 years.
There she noticed that beauticians
were better-paid and had better
schedules. When she returned
home, she looked for a free
cosmetology course. With the
Phoenix ALS course, “I have learned
to curl hair, rebond, relax, manicure
and pedicure, and a little hair cut.”
In March, Dael signed a contract
as a beautician in Dammam,
Saudi Arabia. She says, “Thank
you to Phoenix. I am proud to be a
beautician.”