THE DEPARTMENT of Education office in Cotabato launched a project that aims to bolster the reading skills of students in the province.

The Reading Interventions to Strengthen Education Project (Project RISE) launch was held at the Elai Resort and Recreation Center, in Balindog Kidapawan City.

Among the guests was Cotabato Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño Mendoza.

Under Project RISE, the DepEd will distribute reading and video materials to the 53 districts it covers to increase the reading skills of children in Kinder 1 to Grade 3.

For starters, the Division Office will distribute 11,280 reading materials that can be used by schools throughout the province, Reading Coordinator Rendella Dulay said.

Meanwhile, Mendoza said that for 2023 the provincial government allocated P12 million under the Special Education Fund to address the reading and writing problem of Cotabateño children.

She added that the province will hire one or two licensed teachers in each barangay who will assist DepEd in honing the children’s reading and writing skills within three months.

“We will be hiring professional and licensed teachers to complement with the DepEd to address the learning gaps especially in reading and writing,” the governor said.