BASEY, Samar – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII has started the series of community assemblies for the pilot implementation of Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) in the Province of Samar, June 14, 2024, Friday.
Parents of 80 enlisted learners from 12 barangays in the Municipality of Basey, Samar joined the activity held at Basey 1 Central Elementary School (B1CES) Covered Court. This is the first TBTP community assembly and more will be conducted in the next two weeks covering all target cities and municipalities in the province.
The activity aims to orient parents on the components of the program, their roles and responsibilities and assess situations and generate solutions for its seamless implementation from July 1-26, 2024.
“Nalilipay ako kay kumu usa nga nanay ngan maestra gintatagan ko hin prayoridad iton development hiton aton mga kabataan. Kun tagan naton hera hin panahon ngan prayoridad aton nakikita na magiging maupay iton era kinabubuwason (I am happy because as a mother and a teacher I prioritize the development of our children. If we give them time and priority, we see a better future for them),” said Hon. Luz Ponferrada, the town mayor, in her inspirational message.
The TBTP is a reformatted educational assistance of the national government that aims to assist struggling or non-reader grade school learners affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the program, select college students enrolled in partner state universities will be trained as Tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs).
They will be deployed to conduct 20-day learning sessions both for incoming Grade 2 pupils and identified parents or guardians using the learning materials developed by the DSWD. As per guidelines, each tutor will handle maximum of 10 learners and one YDW for 50 parents or guardians.
In return, tutors and YDWs will receive financial support equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage in the region for the entire duration of the learning sessions. This is on top of the capacity development and service credits they will earn after the program.
Meanwhile, parents and guardians who will complete the learning sessions covering effective parenting, dynamics of Filipino families, challenges in parenting, children’s rights, among others will receive a cash assistance amounting to Php235 per day.
In his message, Brian Baclayo, the school principal of B1CES, expressed his gratitude and support, urging parents for their utmost commitment to the program.
“The Department of Education (DepEd) is very much glad that we are not alone in solving this problem. At DepEd, we are also doing everything to improve our literacy both for children and the youth. Hopefully, the beneficiaries will commit to this program because this is a great opportunity for a brighter future,” he said.
This year, the DSWD Field Office here will cover two cities and 21 municipalities in Samar targeting a total of 2,000 learners, 2,000 parents, 200 tutors and 40 YDWs.
As part of the social preparation activities, the Social Technology Bureau of the DSWD Central Office and its regional counterpart, the Social Technology Unit, already completed the first batch of capacity development training for qualified students from Samar State University and Northwest Samar State University on June 3-7, 2024.