THE US Agency for International Development turned over 44,000 Minasbate language reading materials to the Department of Education as part of its continuing efforts to improve literacy and basic education for children in the country.

Through USAID’s ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines project, DepEd Region V piloted the development of K-3 supplementary reading materials in mother tongue dialects such as Minasbate and Rinconada.

These materials, which include 67 Minasbate language decodable and leveled reader books, will reach more than 41,000 Minasbate learners in Grades 1 through 3 and almost 3,000 teachers and school heads in Bicol.

“By providing K-3 learners in different regions access to reading materials contextualized to their own language, we believe that children can be better supported as they transition their reading ability from mother tongue to Filipino and English,” Yvette Malcioln, USAID Philippines Deputy Director of Education, said.

The books are aligned with DepEd’s Most Essential Learning Competencies and promote social and emotional skills, gender equality and social inclusion, and care for the environment.

“We are very grateful to USAID for bringing this activity to Masbate. The production of 67 Minasbate language decodable and leveled reader books is something that is now marked in the history of DepEd, that we are able to have this material for our K-3 learners,” DepEd Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said.

Meanwhile, USAID will distribute more than 13 million supplementary reading materials written in different mother tongue languages, Filipino, and English for School Year 2021-2022.

The materials will benefit more than 500,000 early grade learners in Bicol, Western Visayas, and Maguindanao.