Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office-12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) Regional Director Loreto Jr. Cabaya, together with General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao, represented by City Councilor Maria Lourdes Casabuena and Mindanao State University-General Santos Chancellor JD Usman Aragasi, represented by Director Diane Mae Ulanday-Lozano, sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Monday (April 22) formalizing the launch of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program in General Santos City on Monday (April 22).
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office-12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) has launched the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program in General Santos City with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the Mindanao State University (MSU) on Monday (April 22).
“Today, we embark on a journey towards fostering social change and development through education,” SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Director Loreto Jr. Cabaya said during the MOA signing.
The MOA was signed by Director Cabaya; General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao, represented by City Councilor Maria Lourdes Casabuena; and MSU- General Santos Chancellor JD Usman Aragasi, represented by Director Diane Mae Ulanday-Lozano.
Some 2,132 struggling and non-reader elementary students will benefit from the tutoring program while 257 college students from MSU-GenSan have also volunteered to become tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs).
Under the Tara, Basa! program, college students will be engaged as tutors and youth development workers (YWDs). Student-tutors will hold reading sessions for struggling and non-reader elementary learners while the YDWs will conduct Nanay-Tatay teacher sessions for parents and guardians of the grade school program beneficiaries.
In exchange of the service rendered, tutors and YDWs will receive cash-for-work (CFW) amounting to Php403 per session, which is based on the regional daily minimum wage.
Recognizing the vital role of collaboration in achieving the goal of the tutoring program, Director Cabaya extended his gratitude to the partners for the invaluable support and commitment to the program.
“Together, we aim to provide our children with the tools they need to thrive, benefitting not only the students but also our dedicated youth development workers,” Director Cabaya said in his message.
Aside from General Santos City, the program now covers more areas across different regions including Samar province, San Jose Del Monte City, Malolos City, Bulacan province, Cebu City, Marawi City, Taraka in Lanao Del Sur, Quezon province, and the National Capital Region (NCR).
The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program creates a learning ecosystem, wherein college students will be capacitated and deployed as Tutors and Youth Development Workers (YDWs) to help improve the reading proficiency of elementary students who are struggling to read or are non-readers.
