By David Vera
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Visayas has partnered with Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) and Leyte Normal University (LNU) to implement an expanded version of the “Tara, Basa!” (Let Us Read!) tutoring program in 2025.
Under the program, qualified college students from low-income families will be deployed as tutors and youth development workers (YDWs) to conduct 20-day reading tutorials for struggling or non-reader pupils. These tutors will also lead parenting sessions covering topics such as effective parenting, Filipino family dynamics, parenting challenges, and children’s rights.
The program offers financial support to both tutors and participating parents. Tutors will receive a daily wage equivalent to the regional minimum wage of PHP435, while parents attending the sessions will receive a daily allowance of PHP235.
On December 9, EVSU and the Tacloban City Social Welfare Office formalized plans to serve 8,000 learners, 8,000 parents, and deploy 2,400 tutors and YDWs across the region in 2025.
The program builds on the success of its pilot implementation in 2024, which involved 375 tutors and YDWs from Samar State University and Northwest Samar State University. The pilot reached 1,981 learners and 1,977 parents across two cities and 19 towns in Samar.
The expanded “Tara, Basa!” program aims to further address literacy challenges and promote family involvement in education, fostering better outcomes for learners in Eastern Visayas.