Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian signs on Friday (April 19) a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Samar Provincial Governor Sharee Ann Tan; Samar State University (SSU) President Dr. Redentor S. Palencia; and Northwest Samar State University (NSSU) President Dr. Benjamin L. Pecayo, represented by its university Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ramil Catamora, for the implementation of the agency’s Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program in the province.
The MOA signing is part of the ongoing expansion of DSWD’s reformatted educational assistance in more areas across different regions.
The signing was witnessed by Vice Governor Arnold V. Tan, DSWD Field Office-8 (Eastern Visayas) Grace Q. Subong, Department of Education (DepEd) Region-8 Regional Director Evelyn R. Fetalvero, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region-8 Regional Director Maximo C. Aljibe, SSU-College of Education Acting Dean Dr. Laura Boller, and NSSU Scholarship Director Dr. Myra Pilpa.
Samar 2nd Congressional District Representative Reynolds Michael T. Tan, Samar 1st District Committee on Education Board Member Lydia De Los Reyes, the local chief executives of the 24 municipalities and three cities in the province, and representatives from Schools Division Offices of Samar, Calbayog, and Catbalogan were also present.
DSWD executives, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) National Program Manager Gemma Gabuya and Social Technology Bureau Director Helen Y. Suzara also attended the signing ceremony.
Aside from Samar province, the program now covers more areas across different regions including San Jose Del Monte City, Malolos City, Bulacan Province, Cebu City, Marawi City, Taraka in Lanao Del Sur, Quezon Province, and 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.
