In keeping with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s goal to improve the reading capabilities of Filipino children, the “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program” of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is projected to benefit over 138,000 more learners and tutors in the school year 2025–2026.
A flagship program of President Marcos under the DSWD, the Tara Basa! Tutoring Program has assisted more than 197,000 children and college students from low-income families since its launch in 2023.
“Ito po ay isa lamang sa napakaraming hakbang ng ating pamahalaan upang matugunan ang mababang literacy and comprehension rate ng Pilipinas,” Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Jose Maria Villarama II said on Thursday in a Malacañang briefing.
The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program is one the government’s flagship initiatives to address foundational literacy gaps among young struggling or non-readers, while empowering their parents’ intellectual capacity.
The program also provides temporary employment opportunities to financially challenged college students who will tutor young children from low-income families.
The tutoring program is the DSWD’s improved version of its educational aid in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd). College students are offered to provide tutoring sessions for children and get paid based on the prevailing regional daily minimum wage rate.
Villarama said selected college student tutors had undergone comprehensive training before their deployment to ensure they are capable of teaching.
The DSWD said over 12,000 tutors will teach more than 60,000 learners across the country, while 6,019 Youth Development Workers (YDWs) will facilitate the Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions for more than 60,000 parents or guardians.
For SY 2025–2026, the tutoring program will be implemented in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao.
It will also reach SOCCSKSARGEN, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Caraga, the National Capital Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. | PND
