Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara for the continuous implementation of the ‘Tara, Basa!’ tutoring program.
“The signing signifies the renewed commitment of the DSWD and DepEd in providing educational support to the youth and making learning more accessible to struggling or non-reader students,” Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said.
The MOA signing ensures the smooth execution of the program until 2028.
On November 22, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed Executive Order 76, declaring the ‘Tara, Basa!’ Tutoring Program as flagship program of the national government.
The EO “will ensure the assistance of national government agencies and local government units as well as encourage the private sector, in establishing a collaborative learning program that aims to provide educational opportunities for elementary students.”
The DSWD and DepEd signed the first agreement during the launch of the pilot implementation of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring program in August 2023.
The tutoring program was piloted in the National Capital Regio in Quezon City as well as in the cities of Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, Navotas, Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasay, Las Pinas, Marikina, San Juan, Pasig, Taguig, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, and in the municipality of Pateros.
This is the DSWD’s reformatted educational assistance that creates an ecosystem of learning where college students are capacitated and deployed as tutors to teach poor and or struggling readers in public elementary schools and as youth development workers to conduct parent education sessions.
This 2024, a total of 120,359 college students, struggling and non-reader elementary learners, and parents benefitted from the agency’s tutoring program.
