Despite being one of the most topographically challenging provinces in the country, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prioritized Samar in this year’s expansion of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP).
It covers two cities and 19 municipalities in the province including all its six island towns namely Daram, Zumarraga, Talalora, Almagro, Sto. Nino, and Tagapul-an. Tagapul-an is the farthest among them reaching five to six hours of travel time from the mainland.
Distance and geographical topography had been a perennial concern that hinders these isolated communities from accessing quality basic services and other government initiatives.
To hurdle this challenge requires harmonized efforts. Throughout the preparation process of TBTP, the DSWD Field Office VIII has worked closely with the Department of Education, partner state universities, and local government units to assess situations and generate solutions for the seamless implementation of the program.
One strategy adopted was the localized deployment of tutors and youth development workers (YDWs) from partner institutions, the Samar State University and Northwest Samar State University.
Trained student-teachers have been assigned to their respective municipalities and cities. However, there were still areas, mostly island towns, that lacked the human resources required for the program.
In some areas, students need to travel by boat twice to reach the venue for the tutorial sessions while others travel an average of two to three hours amid safety concerns due to changing weather conditions.
Despite this, tutors and YDWs willingly accepted the challenge to serve these remote communities outside their hometowns.
Most of them have rented bed spaces as temporary residence for the 20-day learning sessions, while some were provided free accommodation by local government units and barangay councils.
Recognizing their significant role in achieving the objectives of the program, the DSWD also provided PHP2,000 to augment their daily sustenance and other needs in their assigned areas. This is on top of the school supplies, uniforms, jackets, and umbrellas they received.
Now on its last week of implementation, student-teachers of TBTP have expressed a positive attitude towards the ongoing learning sessions. Though challenging, they see it as an opportunity to learn as future educators and contribute to nation-building by shaping the minds of our children.
Indeed, harmonized efforts will pave a way towards a better and brighter future, as we say “Sa pagbasa, may pag-asa, kaya Tara, Basa!”