College student-beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have completed the 20-day Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program sessions this June, with total of 17,838 2nd to 4th year college students benefitting from the program.

In sum, a total of 132,144 beneficiaries—including college tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDW), elementary learners and their parents and guardians—benefitted from the program this year.

In the culminating activity at the Camp Downes Elementary School in Ormoc City last June 20, Undersecretary Edu Punay of the DSWD’s Innovations and Program Development Group (IPDG) said the tutoring program is an initiative that helped struggling and non-reader elementary learners improve their reading skills while also involving poor college students in nation-building.

“Kayo ang pag-asa ng Bagong Pilipinas. Ang ating mga tutor at youth development workers na hindi lamang nakapagbabahagi ng kanilang kaalaman at aral sa ating mga learners at kanilang mga magulang, bagkus ay nagkaroon din kayo ng pagkakataon na makatulong sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan at ekonomiya,” Undersecretary Punay said.

The 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 November 22, 2024.

According to Undersecretary Punay, the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) was rolled out in the following regions: Region 1-Ilocos Region, Region 3-Central Luzon, Region 5-Bicol Region, Region 7- Central Visayas, Region 8-Eastern Visayas, Region 9-Zamboanga Peninsula, Region 10-Northern Mindanao, Region 12-SOCCSKSARGEN, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Caraga, the National Capital Region (NCR), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through DSWD Field Office 10.

The 17,838 2nd to 4th year college students enrolled in state or local universities and colleges will receive a cash-for-work (CFW)—based on the prevailing regional daily minimum wage rate—equivalent to 20 days or the total number of sessions conducted.

The parents and guardians engaged in the TBTP will also receive a CFW worth Php235 per Nanay-Tatay teacher session attended.

Many of the beneficiaries shared how the experience changed their perspective and made them more confident in their abilities.

Mary Ann Valiente, one of the tutors at the Camp Downes Elementary School, said teaching incoming Grade 2 students is hard but she is still thankful to be part of their memories.

“Teaching them is like planting seeds for their future and being part of that journey is something I will always treasure,” Mary Ann shared.

Nicole Nobela Robela, who served as a YDW at the Bulan North Central School-A in Sorsogon expressed her gratitude to the agency, the Department of Education (DepEd), and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the life-changing experience as a YDW.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa DSWD, sa DepEd, at kay President Bongbong Marcos sa binigay niyang programa. Because this is not only a cash-for-work for us, this is also a life-changing experience for us, the students,” Nicole Nobela said.

Parents and guardians also noticed improvements in the children’s confidence and reading levels after the 20 tutorial sessions.

Catalina Jessa Esguerra, a solo parent from Butuan City, said providing quality time with her children is hard because she has to manage her small business.

“Noong siya ay Grade 1, may feedback ang kanyang teacher na hindi siya nakikinig, palaging nagsasalita sa klase, at hindi mapakali—lakad nang lakad habang may talakayan. Ngayon ay masunurin na siya, nasasagutan na niya ang kanyang sariling answer sheets, marunong na siyang magbasa, nakikinig na siya sa kanyang guro, at mas naging attentive sa klase,” Catalina Jessa said.

The solo parent added: “Maganda talaga ang programang ito. Pati kaming magulang ay may natututunan din—kung paano ang tamang pagdisiplina, paano magturo ng tamang asal, at ano ang dapat ituro para mas mapalago ang kaalaman ng aming mga anak.”

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.