69-year-old salt vendor pursues journalism degree

Lolita Escal returned to school at 63 through ALS and is now in her third year of college.

At 69, Lolita Escal is in her third year of college, continuing an education she had to put on hold decades ago.

Escal’s story gained renewed attention after the Department of Education reposted photos of her taking a college entrance exam on Aug. 13.

A salt vendor from Rizal, Escal left formal schooling early to help her family. Her father had fallen ill while her mother had just given birth. As the second of 13 siblings, she had to start working because no one in the family was employed.

“Nagkasakit ang papa ko. Ang mama ko naman, bagong panganak at labintatlong magkakapatid kami, ako iyong pangalawa,” she said in the DepEd video essay “LIBRO AT ASIN: Mga Pangarap at Pagsisikap ni Lola Lolita,” posted on Facebook Aug. 11.

In 2019, Escal, then 63, returned to school through DepEd’s Alternative Learning System, a program for out-of-school youth and adults. After completing ALS, she continued through senior high school and eventually made her way to college. She is now a third-year AB Journalism student at the University of Rizal System in Angono, Rizal.

Her journey was not without setbacks. In 2020, Escal was involved in an accident that left her bedridden for a year and disrupted her studies. She continued studying from home despite her children’s concerns.

Still, she was determined to finish what she started. “Ang gawa ko kasi, pag naumpisahan ko na, kailangang tapusin,” she said.

An incomplete grade once made her worry that she would not graduate, but she eventually finished senior high school in 2024. Her classmates and teachers describe her as diligent and punctual, noting that she rarely misses class and makes arrangements when she does.

Her choice to pursue journalism, she said, goes back to her childhood fascination with stories. “Noong bata pa ako, mahilig ako mag-isip. Lola ko, kuwento nang kuwento. Kaya naaano iyong utak ko,” she said.

A teacher also cited a group project in which classmates made a documentary about Escal’s life. “Puwede naman siguro akong magkuwento nang magkuwento na lang,” she added, chuckling.

Escal said she is open to whatever opportunities come after college. “Kung anong mayroong offer sa akin, kung mayroong mga oportunidad… okay lang,” she said.

And to those who question the usefulness of earning a degree at her age, Escal has a simple response: “Mali sila. Dati, dahil nagagamit ko araw-araw. Iyon lang sa mga pagtuturo ko sa [mga apo ko], nagagamit ko iyan. Malaking bagay.”

In April, the University of Rizal System gave Escal a Lifelong Learner Distinction Award “for inspiring commitment to academic growth, steadfast diligence, and a nurturing spirit toward the student body.”

READ: