Tara, Basa!, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s educational support program under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration is a tutoring program that promotes a holistic learning environment. College students are enlisted to serve as tutors to help struggling readers in the public primary schools. In this cash-for-work program, the tutors also facilitate Nanay-Tatay learning sessions as youth development workers (YDWs).

Introduced in August 2023 and expanded in 2024, the program has reached 216,116 people, including parents, students, and tutors. In 2025, it is projected to reach 207,000 more people in 11 locations. Executive Order (EO) No. 76, issued on November 27, 2024, elevated it to a flagship program of President Marcos.

The “Tara, Basa” program shows the government’s dedication to addressing literacy issues and developing young minds. It expresses the conviction that all children, regardless of their circumstances, should have a chance to achieve.

To guarantee the program’s effective implementation and growth, the EO has brought together the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Youth Council (NYC), State and Local Universities and Colleges (SLUCs), Local Government Units (LGUs), DSWD, and other national government agencies and stakeholders.

As of 2024, the initiative has aided 3,519 youth development workers, 15,003 tutors, and 99,103 students.

According to Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the tutoring program offers two advantages: it helps poor state college students complete their studies while helping shape the nation’s development.

The program’s community-based strategy involves 3,519 youth development workers (YDWs) from low-income backgrounds and 15,003 state college student tutors. These tutors are trained and then placed in primary schools to improve the reading abilities of students who are failing, or do not read at all. They also lead “Nanay-Tatay” teacher sessions for the parents of these pupils. As friends, mentors, and advisors, the student tutors develop close bonds with the kids they work with, fostering a love of learningOrlando Oroszo, a parent, thanked Secretary Rex Gatchalian and President Marcos for the “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program.” “I’m grateful that the program appeals to both the young and the old. At this point, my child is now able to understand what he reads. I am a single parent and I am very happy that you are helping people like me,” Oroszo remarked with tears in her eyes.

“This program has positively contributed to our growth and career goals,” said fourth-year B.S. Education student and tutor Querubin Ruiz Timogan. Querubin added that the experience will be essential to his future work as an educator. He also worked as a tutor during the DSWD’s tutoring program’s pilot deployment last year.

“Napakaalwan po nito para sa amin lalo na kung ikukumpara sa dati,” noted Ayeen Jharifa Dirampaten Alip, a student of Mindanao State University.

Sense of fulfillment

Eliza Gaye Ruivivar, a tutor at City College of San Jose del Monte, said that every time her students praised her, she showed a profound sense of fulfillment.

“No amount of money can compare to hearing that you’ve helped someone learn,” remarked Eliza Gaye. “It’s such a rewarding feeling to see my students talking and saying that they’ve become good readers because of me.” In order to continue his public service, Rommel Aban, a former youth development worker (YDW) in the DSWD’s Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program, has chosen to work for the DSWD.

As a YDW in 2023, Rommel led “Nanay-Tatay” seminars aimed at enhancing parental abilities, stressing the value of education, and encouraging children to study harder.

This all-encompassing strategy recognizes that literacy involves more than just classroom instruction. It also involves fostering a supportive atmosphere at home.

Gina Jambo Guerrera, the mother of a student attending Valenzuela City’s Lingunan Elementary School, said: “I was concerned about my son’s reading before ‘Tara, Basa!’ program. I felt powerless because he had trouble keeping up with his peers. But everything has changed after the ‘Nanay-Tatay’ sessions. He is now reading with more confidence and I know how to support him at home.” According to her, the “Nanay-Tatay” learning sessions emphasize the value of parents’ involvement in their children’s education and the importance of spending quality time with them.

Working in both directions

The Nanay-Tatay learning session is a win-win situation. The amount of PHP235 is given to the parents and guardians for each attendance session. The tutors also get financial aid equivalent to the region’s daily minimum wage rate. Every lesson lasts from two to three hours.

After the tutoring sessions, the students take an exam to gauge how well the tutor-led and parental education worked.

The amount of PHP12,480 has been paid out to each tutor. This amount covers their payment for 20 reading sessions or “Nanay-Tatay” instructor sessions. The NCR regional daily minimum wage rate, which was P610 per day from July 1 to July 16 and PHP645 per day beginning July 17, serves as the basis for the payout.

In seven towns in the National Capital Region (NCR)—Mandaluyong, Pasig, Marikina, San Juan, Pasay, Navotas, and Quezon City—6,236 tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs) were paid in cash between Sep. 20 and 22.

The department also paid out PHP386,271,735.78 for this cash-for-work program in 2024. Among the beneficiaries were 2,434 youth development workers (YDWs), 8,174 tutors, and 62,418 parents.

Program sparks hope

All in all, the program has supported 99,103 learners; 15,003 tutors; and 3,519 youth development workers as of 2024.

The “Tara Basa!” Tutoring Program has also been expanded to various regions. This shows its national reach and potential to transform lives in partnership with the LGUs. The program has now been rolled out in Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 10 (Northern Mindanao), 12 (Soccsksargen), and Calabarzon.

In its initial assessment, the program’s fruits are seen in the fact that grade-schoolers now have a 5.5 percent increase in their reading abilities. A comprehensive rapid literacy assessment (CRLA) verified that the number of children with improved reading abilities rose from 13,933 to 14,700 in 2023.

The agency’s latest reports show a significant improvement in reading scores among students in the program, with an average increase of 15 percent in reading comprehension. This means thousands of children are now better equipped to succeed in their studies and beyond.

The DSWD said the program will expand further in 2025. For 2025, the program’s target implementation sites will include the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Region 4-A), Mimaropa (Region 4-B), Bicol Region (Region 5), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Soccksargen (Region 12), and Caraga (Region 13).

Indeed, the “Tara, Basa!” Tutoring Program is more than just a tutoring program that helps both the mentors and their poor students. It is also a motivating force, a demonstration of the community’s power, and a symbol of the government’s commitment to building a brighter future for our children. (PNA)