MORE than 6,000 college and 63,000 Grade 1 students will benefit from the recently launched Tara, Basa! Tutoring program of the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the pilot implementation of the program at the Rizal High School in Pasig City on Wednesday.

Under the program, the agencies will tap college students who are in dire need of financial assistance to finish their studies to tutor Grade 1 students in reading.

College students who will become Tutors and Youth Development Workers will receive a salary of P570 per day for 20 days.

“Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay nagsanib pwersa ang DSWD at DepEd upang tulungan ang mga mag-aaral sa elementarya na hirap o hindi pa marunong magbasa; mga mag-aaral sa kolehiyo na may pangangailangan upang makapagpatuloy o makapagtapos sila ng kanilang pag-aaral; at mga magulang at buong pamayanan na may mahalagang tungkulin sa paghubog ng kakayahan ng mga bata sa pagbabasa,” Gatchalian said.

Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio hope that more Filipinos will be willing to invest in the children saying that “investing in our children is investing in the future.”

“Ang programang ito ay nagpapakita na kapag ang ating gobyerno ay agresibo, determinado, at mahusay na pinamumunuan, marami tayong magagawa. Malayo ang ating mararating at sasalubungin natin ang ating kinabukasan na puno ng inspirasyon, pag-asa, at posibilidad,” she said.