Manila: Since its launch in August 2023, the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) has benefitted a total of 344,998 individuals. The program supports college students from low-income households, elementary learners who are struggling or non-readers, as well as their parents and guardians.
According to Philippines News Agency, Undersecretary Edu Punay of the DSWD's Innovations and Program Development Group (IPDG) emphasized that the figures demonstrate the commitment of both the DSWD and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that all sectors - from children and youth to parents - are included in development efforts. The initiative provides cash assistance for the work or tasks participants undertake in the program.
Between 2023 and 2025, approximately 34,981 second- to fourth-year college students from low-income families, enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local government-run universities, have been deployed as tutors and youth development workers (YDWs) under the TBTP. These tutors and YDWs receive cash-for-work compensation based on the prevailing regional wage rate, in exchange for providing tutorial services to elementary students and their parents for a duration of 20 days.
Punay, who also serves as the National Program Director of the TBTP, noted that the initiative is being carried out in several regions including Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, the National Capital Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
To enhance the program's reach and effectiveness, several innovations and improvements have been introduced. The Tara, Basa! program has partnered with various institutions, including local government units, academia, and the development sector, to broaden its impact.
The TBTP is a reformatted educational assistance initiative by the DSWD aimed at promoting a holistic learning environment by engaging college students in nation-building activities.
