July 01, 2024 - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has commenced the first reading and Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions under the expanded Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program in seven participating regions, announced by agency official on Monday, July 1.
“With the expansion of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program, we aim to aid more college students in difficult circumstances to pursue or complete their studies through the provision of cash-for-work (CFW) under this reformatted educational assistance program,” stated DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao.
Following a successful pilot implementation in the National Capital Region (NCR), the DSWD has now partnered with local government units (LGUs) from Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 10 (Northern Mindanao), 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN), and CALABARZON to roll out the program further.
This year, the DSWD plans to recruit approximately 10,289 second to fourth-year college students to serve as tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs) for 85,213 incoming Grade 2 students who have been identified as struggling readers or non-readers. The program involves tutors conducting 20 reading sessions for these elementary learners, while YDWs will facilitate Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions for the students' parents and guardians from July 1 to 26.
In return for their services, both tutors and YDWs will receive cash-for-work (CFW) compensation based on the regional daily minimum wage. According to Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who also serves as the DSWD spokesperson, the tutors and YDWs are selected from state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local government-run universities and belong to low-income families.
Additionally, parents and guardians participating in the Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions will receive cash aid amounting to Php 235 per day for their attendance and support in preparing their children for the reading sessions and assisting with assignments.
To ensure the success of the program’s expansion, the DSWD and its Field Offices in the participating regions have conducted capacity-building activities for the tutors and YDWs. “Apart from teaching materials, we also provided transportation allowances to tutors and YDWs to cover their transportation expenses as they attend the learning sessions,” said Dumlao.
The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program represents the DSWD’s innovative approach to educational assistance, creating a supportive learning ecosystem where college students are empowered to improve the reading proficiency of elementary students facing literacy challenges.