DAVAO CITY — A new innovation in the TUPAD program will tap qualified academic mentors to provide supplemental instruction to learners in Grades 1 to 3. The Tulong-Aral: TUPAD for Foundational Learning aims to help students struggling with basic reading, writing, mathematics, and age-appropriate money skills.
A Novel Approach to Foundational Learning
The program harnesses qualified education graduates and new teacher licensure passers to serve as mentors. These mentors will be engaged under the cash-for-work framework of TUPAD, providing them with temporary income while helping young learners catch up on essential skills.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino emphasized the program's potential during a recent press conference in Davao City. "Ang Tulong Aral ay magbibigay ng paraan upang maturuan sila para magbasa, magsulat at gumaling sa arithmetic, TUPAD will be the backbone of the project," he said. The initiative represents a creative use of existing government resources to address educational gaps.
Implementation Through DOLE-DepEd Partnership
The program will operate within the existing partnership between the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Education. It uses a maximum mentor-to-learners ratio of 1:5, ensuring personalized attention for each child. Appropriate child-protection safeguards are integrated into the program design.
Beneficiary mentors will undergo a 10-day capacity-building course before supervised engagement. This preparation equips them with teaching strategies and child protection protocols. The training ensures that mentors are ready to handle the unique needs of young learners effectively.
Complementing, Not Replacing, Teachers
Tulong-Aral will not replace regular teachers or DepEd educational functions. Instead, it complements ongoing efforts to help struggling learners. The program targets those identified by DepEd as needing intervention in foundational skills, providing them with additional support outside regular classroom hours.
Tolentino explained that implementation will vary by location. In the National Capital Region or urban areas, weekend sessions may work well since learners and mentors reside nearby. In provinces like Davao de Oro, sessions can be held after class from 3:00 to 4:30 PM while children are still at school.
Addressing Dropout Rates and Learning Gaps
The Secretary said they will rely on DepEd to identify learners needing intervention. The Tulong-Aral program aims to help lower the dropout rate of learners in schools. By catching struggling students early, the program prevents academic frustration that often leads to students leaving school entirely.
Tulong-Aral is one of seven flagship innovations of the TUPAD program. Other innovations include SkillPass, Tropa Negosyo Trabaho, Sagip-Trabaho, KaHANAP, Match Fund LGU, and Trabahong-Dagat. These initiatives collectively expand TUPAD's impact beyond traditional emergency employment.
Supporting National Education Goals
The innovation supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s program to help students struggling academically. It complements the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Act, which the President signed into law in 2024. The ARAL Act aims to improve proficiency levels of Filipino learners as determined by international assessments.
The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment showed improved scores in all three areas compared to 2022. Reading increased by 20 points, science by 17 points, and mathematics by 16 points. The President underscored the importance of bringing together education partners to sustain this momentum.
