Bicolana mothers laud DSWD’s Tara, Basa! Program’s positive effects on their kids

Mothers of elementary learners in the Bicol Region are all praises for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) because of its positive impact not only on their children but also for Nanay-Teachers like themselves.

Many Bicolona mothers who enrolled in the Nanay-Tatay parenting sessions of the Tara, Basa! Program felt fulfilled and empowered by becoming active participants in their children’s learning journey.

Among them is Eva M. Sison, a parent of an elementary learner at the Don Jose Ursua Elementary School in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

“Bilang isang babae, na-e-empower ako sa Tara, Basa! dahil napakahalaga ng tungkulin namin sa aming tahanan kung saan nabibigyan namin ng panahon ang mga bata sa pagtuturo sa pagbasa at hindi lang dapat iasa ito sa mga guro,” Nanay Eva said.

Rhima Catarungan Gelua, a parent of a learner at the Otavi Elementary School in Bulan, Sorsogon noted that the Tara, Basa! program helped her discover her power to share and impart knowledge, which further strengthened her fellow Nanay-Teachers’ identity as women.

“Ang aking karanasan sa Tara, Basa! ay tunay na nakapagbigay-lakas sa akin bilang isang babae. Sa ngayon, dala ko ang kaalamang ito sa aking komunidad sa pamamagitan ng paghikayat sa mga kabataan na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang pag-aaral,” Nanay Rhima shared.

Cristina Suñer, another parent of a student from Otavi Elementary School, was happy at the results of the Tara, Basa! Program as it provided an opportunity to become an inspiration for their children to learn how to read and for parents like her to get involved in their development.

“Para sa akin, ang pinaka-natatangi kong karanasan sa TBTP ay iyong natutugunan ko ang obligasyon ko bilang magulang sa aking mga anak sa araw-araw at maayos na pakikihalubilo sa loob at labas ng bahay. Dito ko talaga nakita sa kapwa ko magulang na ang bawat karanasan ay hindi pare-parehas. Ang pagiging magulang ay hindi matatapos, at ang obligasyon mo ay dapat mong gampanan,” Nanay Cristina happily said.

All the mothers involved in the TBTP in Bicol Region expressed gratitude for the program, which was implemented through the DSWD’s Field Office (FO) 5.

The Nanay-Teachers also thanked the DSWD’s TBTP in FO-5 for the financial assistance through the cash for training (CFT) scheme of the program, which enabled them to purchase school supplies for their children.


The TBTP was launched in 2023 by the DSWD, in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd). It is a flagship program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr as he formalized it in 2024 through Executive Order No. 76.

The Tara,Basa! Tutoring Program is a developmental and reformatted educational assistance under a cash-for-work (CFW)/cash for training (CFT) scheme of the DSWD as financial aid to the youth who serve as tutors for early-grade students facing reading challenges and youth development workers as facilitators of parenting sessions.

The program also strengthens the role of parents as home educators through dedicated Nanay-Tatay Sessions, creating a holistic support system for literacy.

For this year, the program is targeting at least 130,000 beneficiaries who will participate in the CFW/CFT and parenting and learning sessions facilitated by youth beneficiaries.

In the Bicol Region, the DSWD’s TBTP will serve 9,352 beneficiaries when it launches in May 2026, comprising: 4,000 learners, 4,000 guardians for Nanay-Tatay Sessions, 800 college student tutors, and 552 youth development workers. (NT)

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