The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is strongly supporting the proposal to institutionalize the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program (TBTP) through the measure titled “Tara Basa Act of 2026.”
The “Tara Basa” bill was introduced and sponsored by Parañaque 1st District Rep. Eric Olivarez during plenary sessions at the House of Representatives on Monday.
Undersecretary Edu Punay of the DSWD’s Innovations and Program Development Group (IPDG), who also serves as the TBTP National Program Director, underscored the significance of the proposed measure in the advancement of the Marcos administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and human capital development.
“The TBTP program has proven effective in reducing poverty, keeping youth in school, and expanding access to opportunities for vulnerable Filipino families. Through this proposed legislation, we seek to institutionalize this life-changing program – ensuring it is no longer temporary, but firmly grounded in law, supported by sustainable funding, nationwide reach, and strong accountability, so more families can build a stable and dignified future,” Punay said in a statement on Tuesday.
The “Tara Basa Act” focuses on three key DSWD partner-beneficiaries: youth tutors and development workers; parents or guardians; and elementary school learners.
Under the proposed measure, the TBTP will be implemented by the DSWD as the lead agency, in close coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the National Youth Commission (NYC), local government units (LGUs), and other relevant stakeholders.
It also institutionalizes a range of support mechanisms, including capacity-building initiatives for youth beneficiaries, structured tutorial sessions, and parenting sessions led by Youth Development Workers (YDWs), providing for cash incentives, indirect subsidies such as advocacy materials, case management, and referral services, as well as a strengthened monitoring system.
The measure also seeks to establish a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to oversee the implementation of the TBTP nationwide.
“Through this measure, we strengthen a holistic and community-based framework where youth beneficiaries serve as tutors and youth development workers, parents and guardians are capacitated through parenting sessions, and children beneficiaries receive structured learning support as an enabling and complementary intervention to address foundational literacy gaps,” Olivarez said in his sponsorship speech.
The TBP is the developmental and reformatted educational assistance initiative of the DSWD designed to help youth address their financial needs under a cash-for-work scheme.
The program supports early-grade learners who experience difficulties in reading while strengthening parents and guardians to become primary educators in the home through the conduct of Nanay-Tatay Sessions. (PNA)