A women-led group in a coastal village in southern Negros Occidental is stepping up to help address educational gaps among young learners by establishing a Neighborhood-Parent Support Group (NPSG) to foster reading and writing skills at the community level.
In Aguisan village in Himamaylan City, the NPSG — composed entirely of women — is roving its 12 sub-villages to teach young learners, both in- and out-of-school, to make reading an enjoyable and empowering activity.
NPSG-Aguisan president Melisa Valdevia told Brigada News FM Philippines on Saturday, April 11, that they encountered challenges when they first started, especially since they were not licensed teachers trained to teach young learners.
“It was difficult, but because of the assistance of the teachers of Aguisan Elementary School, we were able to pull it off, and went around our village weekly to conduct storytelling and numeracy activities for children to start embracing the love for learning,” she said.
Valdevia shared that their group, which now has more than 20 members, was established in 2023 through the ABC+ Project, a partnership among the Department of Education (DepEd), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), The Asia Foundation (TAF), and Hope Builders Organization Negros Island Inc. (HBONI).
The project aimed to enhance learners’ literacy, numeracy, and social relations skills in the early grades (Grades 1-3), targeting foundational competencies that are widely recognized as essential for learners’ long-term academic success and broader societal participation.
“This group is not the same as other organizations that offer monetary benefits, but a movement that should be heartily invested in, where you can only receive knowledge that you can apply to your children or grandchildren, and the fulfillment of creating an impact on the community. Now we have helped over 200 learners,” Valdevia said.
Government agencies and civic groups have also supported them, recognizing their achievements at the barangay level and helping establish a command center, where they converted part of the facility into a reading corner, she said.
Valdevia, however, recalled a painful episode when their reading corner was washed away by floods caused by Typhoon Tino in November 2025, which destroyed nearly all of their children’s learning materials.
“The damaged materials saddened us. Still, we hope to restore the reading corner soon so we can once again invite learners to come and enjoy the love of learning,” she said. “In fact, when we first opened the reading corner, our children were the first learners.”
Valdevia expressed hope that, in the coming months, more people will help restore their reading corner and donate children’s books and other learning materials, enabling them to continue teaching young children in every way possible.
Old but gold
NPSG is not exclusive but an inclusive group that welcomes even those considered elderly, like 62-year-old Gerlita Aligan, who found happiness in teaching young learners in their village.
“NPSG helped me in connecting with other people who came from different walks of life, which I enjoyed,” she said.
She said that when the group has activities, she used to wake up as early as possible and finish her household chores before going to communities that need her help.
“My children are also supportive and happy with my endeavors, because they know the genuine happiness that the group has afforded me,” Aligan said.
59-year-old Dory Gestosani also shared the same sentiment, especially the satisfaction she gets every time they know that, despite their age, they can still contribute something to the younger generation.
“Because of our efforts, as if we became registered teachers even though we are not. And we always make sure that we continue to learn, even though we have professional teachers from the elementary school helping us with our initiatives,” she said.
“Frankly, I cannot describe the spark within me—the love of helping others. While my family is my first love, I also deeply value my work for the community. I want to help, especially those who are struggling in their studies. Sometimes, when I see children who are dedicated to learning, I give them money, even when I myself have very little,” Gestosani added.
Meanwhile, HBONI director for administration and finance Andrelyn Bello said the NPSG in Aguisan stood out as one of the most successful and enduring among other NPSGs established in the province, citing its achievements such as the consistent organization of weekly storytelling and numeracy activities, and the group’s ability to mobilize community support even in the absence of standing funds.
“Despite having no standing funds, they have consistently implemented meaningful activities and mobilized both in-kind and financial support from various stakeholders,” she said.
“Moving forward, HBONI plans to support the group in securing formal accreditation from other government agencies to sustain further and expand their initiatives, even adding a livelihood component to make the group self-sustaining,” she added.
Hurdle
According to the 2025-2026 Comprehensive Reading Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for Early-Grade Learners (EGL) at the beginning of the school year (BOSY) in the Schools Division Office of Himamaylan, 63.49% of learners were identified as struggling.
This data implied that a majority of EGLs face significant literacy challenges. Among those struggling, the largest proportion, 43.37%, were classified as Low Emerging Readers, suggesting that many students are at the initial stages of reading development. While 7.72% were identified as High Emerging Learners, and 12.4% were considered Developing Readers.
The data also revealed that 23.37% of learners were classified as Transitioning Readers, while only 13.13% achieved the Grade Level standard.
Bello emphasized that the CRLA data showed not only the ongoing challenges but also the crucial need for sustained community-based interventions, such as those currently being implemented by the NPSG.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.