SHE WAS six-months pregnant when she first learned to write her own name.

Now, with her two-month old son Hammod, Zainab Labing, 29, returns to the Female Functional Literacy class where 20 other Moslem mothers begin their lesson on numbers and immunization.

Held at the back of the barangay health center, the literacy class is handled by midwife, Leonasa Abuelo, 31. Sessions are conducted in the mornings of Tuesdays and Fridays. "These are commonly their free days," says Abuelo who has served as midwife in the village of Patadon since 2000.

Located along the national highway, Patadon is one of 40 barangays in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato. Most of Patadon’s 300 households are Moslem. As in other Moslem communities, many Patadon's women of reproductive ages are illiterate.

"I did not even finish grade one," says Labing. She was the sixth child and the youngest girl in a brood of seven. When her mother gave birth to the youngest son, Labing was asked to leave school and take care of her brother. She did not go back to school.

At age 16, Labing got married to a neighbor five years older. She now has six children.

"My children tease me for learning how to write and count at my age," says Labing. When Abuelo and other volunteer barangay health workers began inviting mothers to attend the first literacy class in Patadon, Labing was initially reluctant. "It was embarrassing to admit that I was illiterate."

Abuelo says that Labing's reaction was typical. With the support of barangay officials, Abuelo's team conducted house-to-house visits to encourage the women of Patadon to attend the class. "It was really difficult in the beginning." As the weeks progressed, the women themselves would seek out Abuelo, egging her on to hold classes.

The literacy class is an initiative of the Provincial Health Office. With the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the local government of North Cotabato prepared and printed literacy workbooks called Sinag, literally "rays of sunlight." Lessons are divided into eight modules. The modules include not only exercises on writing and numeracy but also information on safe motherhood and child's health and nutrition.

A month after giving birth, Labing resumes her participation in the literacy program. She chanced upon the lesson on the importance of immunization. "BCG, DPT, measles," she enumerates the vaccines and remarks that she can now actually read labels of medicine.

Like Labing, Amina Mintang, 33, was also pregnant when she joined the literacy class. Today, she attends sessions with her barely two-month old daughter, Almira. She breastfeeds her infant as she scribbles down her notes for the day's lesson.

Almira was severely underweight when she was born. Through exclusive breastfeeding, immunization and constant monitoring by midwife Abuelo, Almira's malnutrition was curbed. Mintang no longer worries about Almira's condition. "I am now able to attend to other concerns now that Almira is all right."

Mintang looks forward to participating in local elections. "This time, I can cast votes that I can really call my own," says Mintang. She will no longer need assistance at the polling precinct.

In the meantime, Mintang, Labing and their classmates have three more Sinag modules to cover before they finish the course. Abuelo and her team of volunteers also look forward to the graduation ceremony.

By then, all these women will have truly experienced what it means to have the sun shine on them.