More than 19,000 young Filipinos underwent a five-day capacity-building program nationwide as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) prepared for this year’s implementation of its “Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program,” which aims to improve early-grade reading and strengthen parental support in education.

For 2026, the DSWD aims to deploy 11,468 tutors and 7,570 Youth Development Workers (YDWs) nationwide under the program.

Under the initiative, college students from the “Kabataan sa Bagong Pilipinas” program will serve as literacy tutors for struggling Grade 2 learners and as YDWs who will facilitate parenting sessions focused on home-based learning support.

The training equips participants for both roles, with modules on literacy instruction for tutors and facilitation skills for YDWs under the “Enhanced Nanay-Tatay” parenting sessions.

“The DSWD, through the National Program Management Office of the Tara, Basa! program, is now engaging youth development workers and tutors in capacity-building activities in various regions of the country,” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said on March 26.

She said field offices, including those in the National Capital Region and Central Luzon, began workshops on March 23 in coordination with higher education institutions and local government units.

“By equipping our tutors and YDWs with the right tools today, we ensure that our incoming Grade 2 learners receive the high-quality reading intervention they deserve, while simultaneously empowering our youth with the leadership skills and professional experience they need to thrive,” Dumlao said.

The program includes training on learner diversity, reading instruction in Filipino and English, and tutorial techniques for student-tutors, while YDWs are trained to conduct structured parent sessions at home and community levels.

After the training phase, tutorial and parenting sessions will run for 20 days from April 20 to Aug. 15.