Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Tara, Basa! (Let's Read) Tutoring Program (TBTP) child learners have received positive ratings based on the latest English and Filipino literacy assessment conducted by the Department of Education's (DepEd) Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA).

According to Philippines News Agency, TBTP National Program Director Edu Punay stated that 45,794 incoming Grade 2 learners from 2,295 elementary schools nationwide were fully assessed by the BEA out of the 55,932 learners of the Tara, Basa! program during its implementation across 12 regions in 2025. From those assessed, 72.39 percent or 33,149 learners reached the 'Meets Expectations' level in Filipino literacy, while 70.08 percent or 32,094 achieved the same level in English literacy.

"This positive result from DepEd proves that Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program is effective and will help prepare the future generation to become globally competitive," DSWD spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, mentioned in a news release. Dumlao emphasized that the outcome is a promising development to ensure that more children and learners improve their skills, knowledge, and capabilities.

The results provide solid evidence that the program is successfully achieving its objectives of strengthening early literacy among learners. The assessment indicated significant improvement in literacy skills, with 21,801 learners in Filipino and 20,013 learners in English advancing to the 'Meets Expectations' level from lower proficiency levels.

Average scores of learners also showed an increase, with Filipino mean scores rising from 6.04 to 8.19, and English from 5.77 to 8.23. "The data clearly shows strong upward movement in learners' reading skills. Many of those who reached the 'Meets Expectations' level came from lower proficiency groups, which proves that the program is effective in helping struggling learners improve their reading abilities," Dumlao added.