On its third year of implementation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Tara Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) continues to make a difference in the lives of youth-beneficiaries with many of them sharing in their own social media accounts their happy experiences and the impact of the program on their lives and to their families.
Among them is Jasmin Bernaded Maharail, a 20-year-old social work student from Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) who recently shared on Facebook her experience as a youth development worker (YDW) of the TBTP.
“It was a wrap! We would like to thank the DSWD Tara Basa! Tutoring Program for giving us this opportunity and for choosing us to be among the tutors and youth development workers. It was a great and fulfilling experience,” Jasmin said as she shared snippets of the program’s culminating activity in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula).
The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program is the DSWD’s reformatted educational assistance in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd). It is a conditional program that gives cash-for-work (CFW) to college students, based on the prevailing regional daily minimum wage rate, in exchange for rendering 20 tutoring and learning sessions.
For 20 days, 630 students from the WMSU served as tutors to incoming Grade 2 learners from the Putik Central School in Zamboanga City. Meanwhile, Jasmin was among the 315 YDWs who had Nanay-Tatay sessions with the children’s parents.
As shared by Jasmin, she had initial fears stepping up to the role of a YDW but the support she got from the DSWD, the school personnel, and the learners’ parents helped a lot.
“Throughout the days na nag-[Nanay-Tatay] sessions po kami, I was blessed enough kasi never po ako nahirapan sa kanila [parents]. They are so cooperative and willing to learn from each session,” Jasmin said as she cited the program also helped her connect with the older generation.
In Nanay-Tatay sessions, YDWs like Jasmin guide parents or guardians to expound on their role in upholding their children’s protection and ensuring that their kids’ progress in the tutoring program is sustained at home.
“It made me deepen my passion working with different people. The experiences I gained from the TBTP made me realize in the near feature, magiging client mo rin sila, ‘Jas how can you help them?’ So ‘yun, it made me think of a better intervention that is suitable for their unique problems, and so on,” Jasmin explained.
Now that everything has been wrapped up, Jasmin plans to use the cash she will receive from the DSWD for her academic expenses, including her thesis and internship needs.
Jasmin stressed that the program’s impact on her goes beyond financial assistance.
“It was a great and fulfilling experience. This program not only assisted us financially but also helped us to nurture our skills and become competent individuals, or rather, competent future social workers. It truly inspires us to serve the people. Maraming salamat po talaga sa DSWD,” Jasmin said.
Echoed sentiment
Federic Sean Eleido, an incoming 2nd-year Physical Education student also from WMSU, echoed similar sentiments. He served as a tutor and was assigned to guide young children in basic literacy skills.
For Federic, the highlight of his experience as a tutor would be that moment when his tutees started reading on their own.
“Ang pinaka-highlight naman po sa journey ko para sa akin is ‘yung second to the last day po ng pagtu-tutor ko, kasi po nakita ko na may progress pala ‘yung pagtuturo ko na akala ko ‘di gumagana, I felt very happy po kasi nakakapagbasa na sila kahit konti pero kailangan pa rin pong gabayan pero ‘yun po medyo marunong na po sila,” an overjoyed Federic said.
Throughout the learning sessions, Federic said it is not just the tutees who have improved. The program also helped him hone his communication skills and boosted his self-confidence.
“Dati nahihirapan akong magsalita sa harap ng tao. Now, I can speak clearly without stuttering. That’s a big thing for me,” Federic happily shared.
Like Jasmin, Federic also plans to use his earnings to help his family and support his education.
“Without this po, ‘di po namin mae-experience ang pagtuturo po, kung gaano ka-ganda sa pakiramdam magturo sa mga estudyante. Sana ipagpatuloy niyo po ‘tong programang ito dahil ‘di lang po kami ang natutulungan niyo po pero pati na rin ang ating mga parents and tutees po para sa kanilang kinabukasan,” Federic pointed out.
Beneficiaries’ voices reflect true impact
Amid the inspiring stories shared by the youth-beneficiaries, TBTP Deputy Program Manager Director Elma Salamat emphasized that such firsthand experiences are the strongest validation of the program’s continued relevance and success.
“There is no better success indicator than the positive feedback of our beneficiaries toward the program. Masaya kami na ‘yung mga students natin, they not only get hard-earned financial support in the process, we are also imparting intangible values that will come crucial as they journey toward adulthood and face bigger challenges in life,” Director Salamat said.
She added that the agency looks forward to even more positive feedback as this year’s program implementation is on its last stretch.
“From tutors and YDWs we are empowering with experience and practical aid, struggling young learners we refuse to be left behind, down to parents given a sense of relief that they are not alone in upholding their children’s rights and growth — it is always good to know that through this program, iba’t-ibang sektor ‘yung naaabot natin,” Director Salamat pointed out.
The DSWD’s Tara Basa! Tutoring Program was declared as a flagship program of the national government by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, through Executive Order 76 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Nov. 22, 2024. (LSJ)