By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
“Kaya sa magigiting na tutors at youth development workers, ipinapaabot ko ang aming taos-pusong pasasalamat sa inyo. Kayo ang bumubuhay sa programang ito.”
Capping off his earlier engagements at the Malacañang Palace, Laguna, and Batangas, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the National Culminating Activity of ‘Tara, Basa!’ Tutoring Program (TBTP) in Taguig City this Monday.
In his speech at the event, the President underscored the value of equipping learners with adequate academic proficiencies to succeed later on in life, especially emphasizing the role of literacy in molding and shaping the future of Filipino youth.
President Marcos said, “Araw-araw, tayo’y nagsusumikap upang maipadala sa paaralan at mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga bata para naman matupad ang kanilang mga pangarap. Ngunit, maraming hamon sa sistema ng ating edukasyon.”
He added, noting the struggles that students face in their studies, “Nandiyan ang kakulangan ng classrooms, kakulangan ng mga guro, at mga libro. Kaya naman marami sa mga kabataan natin, hirap makabasa. Hindi makahabol sa kanilang pag-aaral.”
TBTP is a social welfare program that empowers college students to serve as tutors or learning facilitators to help poor and struggling students in public elementary schools to improve their reading skills, thus helping to address literacy gaps among youth and serve as an additional source of income for financially disadvantaged college students.
They also serve as Youth Development Workers (YDWs) during the ‘Nanay-Tatay’ Teacher Sessions, assisting parents and guardians in gaining tools to support their children’s literacy growth. In return for completing 20 tutoring and learning sessions, the tutors and YDWs receive cash for work based on the current regional daily minimum wage.
The Chief Executive emphasized the total beneficiaries of the program since it launched in 2024, “Sa loob ng 2 taon, mahigit 348,000 Pilipinong nangangailangan ang naabot ng programang ito—isang programang tumutugon sa problema ng edukasyon at nagbigay kita sa mga college student at magulang.”
President Marcos concluded his remarks by urging the parents of young learners to build upon the lessons taught by tutors and youth development workers to hone the skills of their children, encouraging learners to study hard for their future, and instructing the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Education (DepEd) to sustain the momentum of the ‘Tara, Basa!’ Program.
Also present at the TBTP National Culminating Activity were Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara.
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