Some 1,065 parents and guardians of struggling and non-reader elementary beneficiaries of the "Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program" of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) received their cash-for-work (CFW) during the payout at the Valenzuela City People's Park on Wednesday, 25 October.

Another 2,800 parents and guardians received their CFW as the payout continues yesterday and Friday, 26 to 27 October, in Valenzuela City.

In exchange for attending "nanay-tatay" sessions, the parents and guardians are given a P235 fee per session. They received an amount ranging from P705 equivalent to three sessions for the month of September up to P2,585 for the combined 11 sessions for the months of August and September.

Apart from attending 20 learning sessions, they are also required to assist their children in preparing their needs for learning and reading sessions and assist them in their after-reading session assignments.

"The nanay-tatay session is one of the components of the tutoring program to strengthen the family and community support systems of the struggling and non-reader elementary students," Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez said.

Avenger Charles, 39, from Caloocan City, said he is thankful that he became part of the "Tara, Basa!" Tutoring Program.

"Maraming salamat po sa DSWD dahil bukod sa natulungan kaming mga magulang, natuto pang magbasa ang aking anak. Natutunan ko rin yung mga mabubuting pangangaral sa mga anak bilang isang magulang,(Thank you very much to DSWD because apart from helping us parents, my son also learned how to read. I also learned how to raise my children well as a parent.)" Avenger said.

"Gagamitin ko po ang natanggap kong cash-for-work sa pang araw-araw na pangangailangan ng aking anak tulad ng baon niya at tsaka para sa lapis, ballpen, notebook, tsaka bag (I will use the cash-for-work I received for my son's daily needs such as his allowance and also for pencils, ballpens, notebooks, and bag)," Avenger added.

Javinette, 22, said she will use the P1,180 she received, which is equivalent to eight nanay-tatay sessions, for the vitamins and school supplies of her children.

"Malaking tulong po ang nanay-tatay sessions kasi marami pong ibang magulang na hindi alam kung paano disiplinahin ang mga anak nila, hindi alam kung paano pasunurin yung bata, hindi alam kung paano i-approach yung anak nila. Kaya napakalaking tulong po nito para matutunan din ng magulang kung paano nila maa-approach yung anak nila (The nanay-tatay sessions are very helpful because some parents do not know how to discipline their children, do not know how to teach their children to be obedient, or do not know how to approach their children. So it is very helpful for parents because we learned how to approach our children.)" Javinette explained.

The "Tara, Basa!" Tutoring Program is a holistic social welfare and development model that creates an ecosystem of learning wherein college students will be capacitated and deployed as tutors to teach poor and non- or struggling readers in elementary.

College students can also act as youth development workers (YDWs) who will conduct parenting and learning sessions for parents and guardians of elementary learners.

The "Tara, Basa! is the reformatted educational assistance program of the DSWD that gives college students P610 a day for 20 days in exchange for being tutors or youth development workers and will provide P235 per day for parents who will attend the teaching sessions.