The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is bringing the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program to five more regions this 2025, a senior agency official said on Thursday (February 13).
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said that on the third year of its implementation, the Department will expand the tutoring program in Regions 1 (Ilocos Region); 5 (Bicol Region); 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula); MIMAROPA; and Caraga.
“There are so many testimonials that we have documented—from college students and parents—saying that the tutoring program has helped them and their families. Some even said the cash-for-work (CFW) is just an extra benefit. That is why we are bringing it to other regions,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.
According to the DSWD spokesperson, the participating municipalities in the five areas include Pangasinan in Ilocos Region; Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon in Bicol Region; Zamboanga City in Zamboanga Peninsula; Odiongan, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City in MIMAROPA; and Butuan City and Surigao del Norte in Caraga.
For this year’s implementation, some 138,407 individuals, including struggling and non-reader elementary learners, their parents or guardians, and college students from poor households are expected to benefit from the program.
“In the five new regions, we are targeting 19,343 beneficiaries. Of this number, 16,820 are elementary learners and their parents or guardians, while 2,523 are college students who will be trained as tutors and youth development workers (YDWs),” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
In its second year, the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program has provided CFW to some 10,608 college students who rendered tutoring and parenting sessions and 61,805 parents and guardians of struggling or non-readers elementary students who attended the “Nanay-Tatay Teacher” sessions.
A total of 62,418 grade school students also benefitted from the series of tutorial sessions.
“Apart from the new regions, we will continue the implementation of the tutoring program in the National Capital Region (NCR); Regions 3 (Central Luzon); 7 (Central Visayas); 8 (Eastern Visayas); 10 (Northern Mindanao); 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN); and CALABARZON,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.
The tutorial and ‘Nanay-Tatay Teacher’ sessions are set to take place from May to June.
The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program is the DSWD’s reformatted educational assistance. It 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, 2023.
The EO stipulates that the DSWD, Department of Education (DepEd), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Youth Commission (NYC), and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) must work together in implementing the program. (DSWD)
