Over 344k college students, learners, parents benefit from DSWD tutoring program

Approximately 344,998 college students, learners, and parents have benefited from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program” (TBTP) since its inception in August 2023.

This was according to DSWD Undersecretary Edu Punay of the Innovations and Program Development Group (IPDG), who said the beneficiaries of the tutoring program include college students from poor households, learners in elementary school who are struggling to read or are non-readers, and their parents and guardians.

“This figure reflects the DSWD and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s commitment to ensuring that all sectors, from children, youth, to parents, will not be left behind in development while also providing cash assistance in exchange for the work or tasks they do in the program,” Punay said in a statement on Monday.

From 2023 to 2025, 34,981 2nd to 4th year college students belonging to low-income families and enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local government-run universities were deployed as tutors and youth development workers (YDWs) under the TBTP.

The TBTP is a reformatted educational assistance initiative that promotes a holistic learning environment by engaging college students as tutors for learners having difficulty in reading.

In exchange for rendering tutorial service to elementary students and their parents for 20 days, tutors and YDWs received cash-for-work assistance (CFW) based on the prevailing regional wage rate.

In 2025 alone, 128,568 tutors, YDWs, grade school students and their parents benefited from the program.

Punay, the TBTP national program director, said the Tara, Basa! is being implemented in Regions I (Ilocos Region), III (Central Luzon), CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, V (Bicol Region), VII (Central Visayas), VIII (Eastern Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), X (Northern Mindanao), XII (SOCCSKSARGEN), Caraga, National Capital Region (NCR), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Elma Salamat, the deputy program manager, said they partnered with different institutions, including local government units (LGUs), the academe, and development sector to expand the program's reach.

“Mayroon tayong nilagdaan na 110 memoranda of agreement (MOAs) ngayong taon para maipatupad natin ang Tara, Basa! sa iba’t ibang munisipalidad at sa iba pang organisasyon para maabot din natin ang mga kabataan na nasa geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), urban poor communities at sa madrasahs,” Salamat said.

(We signed 110 memoranda of agreement this year to implement the Tara, Basa! In different municipalities and other organizations, so that we can reach youths in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, urban poor communtiies, and madrasahs.) — JMA, GMA Integrated News