SLSU–Hinunangan Joins Forces with LGU, DSWD for Literacy-Focused Tara, Basa! Program

Southern Leyte State University–Hinunangan Campus has formally strengthened its commitment to community-based literacy development after sealing a tripartite partnership with the Local Government Unit of Silago and the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VIII for the replication of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program.

The ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement occurs on April 24, 2026, at Viajeros Hotel & Restaurant in Silago. The event marks the first regional replication of the program through a technology transfer initiative. Present for the signing are Silago Municipal Mayor Hon. Lemuel P. Honor, DSWD Field Office VIII Regional Director Grace Q. Subong, and Mr. Wade C. Lim, Head of Research, Innovation, and Extension Services of SLSU–Hinunangan Campus. 

The partnership underscores the active role of SLSU–Hinunangan in extending academic expertise beyond the classroom and into communities where educational support is most needed. Through the involvement of its education students as tutors and facilitators, the campus contributes to addressing literacy gaps while providing future educators with meaningful field-based learning and community engagement experiences.

The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program is a community-based social protection initiative that supports low-income families while promoting literacy among young learners. It engages college students as tutors and youth development workers under a Cash-for-Work scheme, allowing them to participate in nation-building while receiving financial assistance.

Target beneficiaries include college students from low-income families enrolled in state or local universities, as well as incoming Grade 2 learners in public schools who are identified as struggling readers or non-readers. The program also extends assistance to families facing economic challenges, particularly those with children requiring literacy intervention.

The initiative is spearheaded by the Silago Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office under the leadership of Atty. Chrisa Gerong. It aims to empower youth through financial support, capacity-building activities, and leadership development while reducing the vulnerability of both students and their families. It also seeks to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders, including non-government organizations, civil society groups, private institutions, and academic partners. A key component of the program is the efficient digitalization and monitoring of financial assistance distribution to ensure transparency and effectiveness. 

Mayor Honor expresses strong support for the initiative, citing its potential to improve grassroots education and help address learning gaps brought about by recent disruptions in education and limited access to learning resources. 

Mr. Lim, for his part, emphasizes that the partnership reflects SLSU’s continuing mission to bring education, research, innovation, and extension services closer to communities. He notes that the participation of SLSU–Hinunangan education students allows them to gain practical experience while contributing to the literacy development of young learners.

DSWD Field Office VIII also highlights the program’s dual impact: improving children’s reading skills while empowering parents and community members through active participation and capacity-building efforts. The agency continues to lead the nationwide implementation of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program as part of its broader social development agenda.

As the program moves forward, stakeholders express optimism that its successful replication in Silago will serve as a model for other communities in Eastern Visayas. The partnership demonstrates how local government, national agencies, and academic institutions such as SLSU–Hinunangan work together to address educational challenges and foster a stronger culture of reading among Filipino learners.

The initiative directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1: No Poverty, by providing financial assistance and social protection opportunities to low-income students and families; SDG 4: Quality Education, by promoting literacy and inclusive learning support for struggling and non-reader learners; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, by strengthening collaboration among government, academic, and community stakeholders for sustainable local development.