Learning from Life, for Life, and Throughout One’s Lifetime

Edicio dela Torre together with ELF graduates visit Mutya Choco Farm in Pili, Camarines Sur. Bicol serves as the flagship region for its production and trade of Pili nuts.

Learning from Life, for Life, and Throughout One’s Lifetime

By Teddy Brul l September 27, 2025

Learning does not end in the classroom. For former Catholic priest and political prisoner Edicio dela Torre, it is a lifelong journey—one that shapes individuals, communities, and even movements for social change.

Dela Torre is the founder and chairp of the Education for Life Foundation (ELF), a non-governmental organization established in 1992. ELF pioneered grassroots leadership-formation programs in the Philippines, inspired by the philosophy of Danish thinker Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (N.F.S. Grundtvig). His central idea was simple yet profound: “To learn from life, for life, and throughout your lifetime.”

ELF has since trained thousands of leaders from people’s organizations and community movements, particularly in the Bicol region. Its approach goes beyond formal lectures and textbooks, drawing instead from the lived experiences, reflections, and struggles of ordinary people. As Dela Torre explains: “In our native tongue, this is hango sa buhay, tungo sa buhay, habang may buhay—to learn from life, for life, throughout your lifetime.”

Grundtvig and Freire: Roots of ELF’s Philosophy

Grundtvig’s philosophy emphasized life-long learning, dialogue, folk culture, and the development of democratic citizenship through a holistic form of education known as Bildung. Instead of rigid exams or authority-driven teaching, he stressed the “living word”—learning through conversation, culture, and community.

ELF also drew inspiration from Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, whose Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968) promoted education as a tool for liberation. Combining Grundtvig’s folk high school tradition with Freire’s pedagogy, ELF crafted a unique program designed specifically for grassroots leaders in the Philippines.

The ELF Program

From 1992 to 2004, ELF received financial support from DanChurch Aid (Folkekirkens Nødhjælp) in Denmark, which enabled it to conduct six-week residential leadership courses. More than 2,000 grassroots leaders completed these trainings, while another 2,000 leaders benefited from ELF’s distance learning initiatives.

Lacking its own permanent facilities, ELF would rent spaces for the trainings, creating an atmosphere similar to Denmark’s folk high schools—intensive, communal, and participatory. The shorter course format was necessary, as most grassroots leaders could not afford to be away from their families or organizations for longer periods.

Despite limited resources, ELF managed to sustain its mission thanks to the continuing support of Dela Torre’s former colleagues, including fellow ex-political prisoners who remained committed to people’s empowerment.

The Bicol Experience: Women Leaders Emerge

Among ELF’s inspiring success stories are two women participants from Bicol. After their training, they organized local women in their communities, educating them about their rights and helping them launch small enterprises. Their grassroots work eventually led to electoral victories: Marlene Magayanes in Daraga, Albay, and Beth Abergos in Sipocot were both elected as vice mayors, proving that community-based leadership training can translate into political power.

Even the mayor of Daraga, impressed by Magayanes’ work, encouraged her to run as his successor. Both women won their first political contests, showing that participatory education can strengthen participatory democracy.

A Vision for Participatory Democracy

For Dela Torre, ELF’s mission is not only about education but about democracy itself. He warns of the growing trend of authoritarian populism in the Philippines and abroad, stressing the importance of people’s participation in governance:

“We need to continue promoting participatory democracy among the people, because there is a tendency towards authoritarian populism among political leaders and their supporters,” he says.

Lifelong Learning as Social Transformation

At its core, ELF believes that personal transformation leads to social transformation. By analyzing and correcting one’s own life experiences, an individual can chart a new direction, influence society, and contribute to national development.

This vision of “education for life” continues to guide ELF today, even as Dela Torre now also leads the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement. His journey—from priest to political prisoner, to grassroots educator and national leader—embodies Grundtvig’s timeless philosophy: learning from life, for life, and throughout one’s lifetime.