MALITA, Davao Occidental — The Department of Education Schools Division of Davao Occidental has recently launched the National Reading Month celebration, highlighting its ‘Bida Basa Tayo Reading Program, aiming at strengthening the culture of reading and elevating the literacy of learners in the province.
DepEd-Davao Occidental announced the launch on its social media page with Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Rommel R. Jandayan highlighting that the reading program serves as the division’s comprehensive reading framework designed to cultivate a love for reading and improve literacy among learners.
“It underscores the importance of reading as a shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and the community,” Jandayan said.
DepEd-Davao Occidental, bannering the tagline “Basta DavOcc Reads, DavOcc Leads,” implements the program in all classrooms of every school in the province.
The program features several innovative components, which include the BIDA Buddy, a buddy-buddy system that pairs readers for peer learning and mentoring, and BIDA Busog, a supplementary feeding program that supports learners’ nutritional needs to enhance focus and participation.
Another components are the Bida Kasama, a stakeholders’ engagement initiative that mobilizes community and private sector support; Bida Lovers, the Lovers Writers Club that nurtures creative writing and literacy appreciation; Bida Hug, parent involvement activities that promote family participation in reading; and Bida Galing, a recognition scheme for outstanding implementers who exemplify excellence in literacy promotion.
“It takes a village to raise a child, and the same village will make that child a reader. That is why we came up with the Bida Basa Tayo Reading Program, along with its components, to nurture a generation of confident and capable readers,” Jandayan explained.
Don Marcelino Mayor Mark Edward Anthony M. Maruya expressed the local government unit’s continued support for the division’s literacy initiatives, emphasizing that “reading and education remain shared priorities among local stakeholders and the Department of Education.”
Bianca Ricci Bautista-Navarra, Punong Barangay of Malita and president of the Federation of Association of Barangay Captains (FABC) in Davao Occidental, also shared a message, saying “Bida Basa reminds us that reading is not just a subject – it’s a lifeline. It connects us to knowledge, to opportunities, and to each other.”
“Let’s fight functional illiteracy not with fear but with hope, not with shame but with compassion. Because when we teach someone to read, we don’t just open a book – we open their world,” Bautista-Navarra emphasized. PIA DAVAO