USAID delivers 44K reading materials for Masbate children

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has delivered 44,000 reading materials for Masbate children, the US Embassy said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the US Embassy said the USAID handed over the reading materials, which include 67 Minasbate language decodable and leveled reader books, to the Department of Education (DepEd) in a virtual event on Monday.

The program aims to reach more than 41,000 Masbate students in Grades 1 to 3 and almost 3,000 teachers and school heads in Region 5.

“By providing K-3 learners in different regions access to reading materials contextualized to their own language, we believe that children can be better supported as they transition their reading ability from mother tongue to Filipino and English,” USAID Philippines Deputy Director of Education Yvette Malcioln said.

The US Embassy also noted that the books are aligned with DepEd’s “essential learning competencies to promote social and emotional skills, gender equality and social inclusion, and care for the environment.”

"The production of 67 Minasbate language decodable and leveled reader books is something that is now marked in the history of DepEd, that we are able to have this material for our K-3 learners,” DepEd Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said in a statement.

The USAID will distribute more than 13 million reading materials written in different languages in the 2021 to 2022 school year, according to the embassy.

These materials will benefit more than 500,000 early grade students in Region 5, Region 6, and Maguindanao.

The USAID has partnered with the Philippine government and local organizations to achieve shared development goals, investing more than P258 billion or $5.1 billion to support the Philippines since 1961. -- Richa Noriega/BAP, GMA News