The Tara, Basa! (Let’s read) The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) tutoring program helped at least 11,592 struggling learners, parents and low-income college students in Eastern Visayas this year.
According to the DSWD, the tutoring program is a developmental and community-based social protection initiative that helps low-income families and college students, while allowing them to contribute to nation-building as tutors and youth development workers (YDWs) through Cash-for-Work. Tara, Basa! Program is a reformatted educational assistance program of DSWD for college students from low-income families.
In their statement, DSWD stated that the initiative supported 1,512 college students as tutors and youth development workers (YDWs), 5,040 struggling readers, and 5,040 parents and guardians.
College students who were qualified were chosen to tutor struggling or non-reader students and organize learning sessions for parents. As compensation, college students received daily wages amounting to P435 for 20 days, equivalent to the regional minimum wage.
In addition, parents who attended the sessions on topics such as effective parenting, dynamics of Filipino families, challenges in parenting, children’s rights, and more received a daily allowance of PHP 235.
The program addressed the reading challenges while providing financial assistance to low-income college students. It is implemented in 132 public schools in the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc, and in Samar province.
DSWD said, “With the success of the 2025 expansion, the DSWD recognizes the significant contributions of all involved stakeholders from the Department of Education, local government units, and partner state universities and colleges (SUCs).”
Payouts to beneficiaries have already begun in parts of Ormoc City, followed by scheduled payouts in Tacloban City and Samar, with mass distributions to be conducted soon.
Northwest Samar State University, Samar State University, Leyte Normal University, Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) main campus, EVSU Ormoc campus, and City College of Ormoc are the involved SUC partners.
The program was a 20-day session that started on May 19 and ended on June 13.