TACLOBAN CITY – The ‘Tara, Basa!’ tutoring program is set to benefit more learners and families in Tacloban City as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) strengthens its partnership with key local institutions.
On Tuesday, February 11, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between DSWD regional office, the Tacloban City government, Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU), and Leyte Normal University (LNU) to formally implement the initiative in the city.
DSWD Director Grace Sugbong led the MOA signing, joined by LNU president Evelyn Aguirre, EVSU president Dennis De Paz, and Liga ng mga Barangay Tacloban and Region 8 president Raymund Romualdez, who represented Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez. Tacloban Schools Division superintendent Sherlita Palma served as the witness to the agreement.
With a regional target of 1,510 tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs) assisting 5,040 learners and parents, Tacloban City will contribute 477 college student tutors and support 1,260 learners and parents under the program.
The ‘Tara, Basa!’ program is a three-pronged social welfare intervention designed to improve literacy skills among struggling Grade 2 pupils through structured tutoring; provide financial support to college students through a cash-for-work scheme, enabling them to serve as tutors; and enhance parental involvement through Nanay-Tatay sessions, where YDWs will conduct discussions on effective parenting, family dynamics, child development, and children’s rights, equipping parents with the skills to better support their children’s education.
The program is set to run in Tacloban from May 19 to June 13, 2025.
