NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A women-led group in a coastal village in southern Negros Occidental is stepping up to help address educational gaps among young students by establishing a Neighborhood Parent Support Group (NPSG) to promote literacy at the community level.
In Barangay Aguisan in Himamaylan City, NPSG is making rounds in its 12 neighborhoods to teach young students, both in and out of school, to make reading a fun and empowering activity.
NPSG-Aguisan President Melisa Valdevia told Rappler on Saturday, April 11, that they faced challenges when they started, especially since they were not licensed teachers trained to teach young students.
“It was difficult, but because of the support of the teachers of Aguisan Primary School, we were able to pull it off and go around our village every week to conduct storytelling and counting activities so that the children begin to embrace the love of learning,” he said.
Valdevia said the group was established in 2023 through The ABC+ Projecta collaboration between the Department of Education (DepEd), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Hope Builders Organization Negros Island Incorporated (HBONI).
The project aims to strengthen literacy, numeracy, and social relations skills for students in early grades (Grades 1-3), targeting basic ability it is widely recognized as essential to students’ long-term academic success and wider social participation.
“This group is not the same as other organizations that provide financial benefits, but a movement that should invest wholeheartedly, where you can receive skills that you can use for your children or grandchildren, and the fulfillment of making an impact on society. Now we have helped more than 200 students,” Valdevia said.
Government agencies and civic groups have also supported them, recognizing their achievements at the barangay level and helping to establish a command center, where they converted part of the center into a study corner, he said.
Valdevia, however, recalled a painful period when their study corner was swept away by the floods caused by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) in November 2025, which destroyed almost all of their children’s learning materials.
“The damaged materials saddened us. Still, we hope to restore the study corner soon so that we can again invite students to come and enjoy the love of learning,” he said. “In fact, when we opened the reading corner for the first time, our children were the first students.”
Valdevia expressed her 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 golden
NPSG is not an exclusive group but a united group that welcomes even those who are considered old, such as 62-year-old Gerlita Aligan, who found joy in teaching young learners in her village.
“NPSG helped me connect with other people from different walks of life, which I enjoyed,” he said.
He said that when the group is busy, he wakes up as early as possible and finishes his homework before going to communities that need his help.
“My children also support me and enjoy my efforts because they know the true joy the group has given me,” Aligan said.
Fifty-nine-year-old Dory Gestosani also shared the same feeling, especially the satisfaction she gets every time they realize that, despite their age, they can still contribute something to the younger generation.
“Because of our efforts, it is as if we have become registered teachers even though we are not registered. And we make sure that we continue to learn, even though we have professional teachers from the primary school who help us in our plans,” he said.
“To be honest, I can’t explain the spark in me – the love of helping others. Although my family is my first love, I also really value my work for the community. I want to help, especially those who are struggling in their studies. Sometimes, when I see children who volunteer to learn, I give them money, even when I myself have very little,” Gestosani added.
Meanwhile, HBONI director of administration and finance Andrelyn Bello said the NPSG in Aguisan stood out as one of the most successful and permanent NPSGs among the NPSGs established in the province, citing achievements such as the stable organization of weekly story and counting activities and the ability of the group to mobilize community support even in the absence of permanent funds.
“Despite not having permanent funds, they have been carrying out meaningful activities from time to time and mobilizing financial and material support from various stakeholders,” he said.
“Moving forward, HBONI plans to support the group in obtaining official approval from other government agencies to further develop and expand its programs, even increasing the livelihood component to make the group self-sustaining,” he added.
Obstacle
According to 2025-2026 Comprehensive Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for Primary Grade Students (EGL) held at the beginning of the school year (BOSY) at Himamaylan School Division Office, 63.49% of students were identified as struggling.
The data means that the majority of EGLs face serious literacy challenges. Among those struggling, the largest number, 43.37%, were classified as low emerging readers, suggesting that most students are in the early stages of reading development. Meanwhile, 7.72% were identified as emerging readers, and 12.4% were considered progressive readers.
The data also revealed that 23.37 percent of students were placed in the transitional reading group, while only 13.13% achieved Grade Level.
Bello emphasized that the CRLA statistics showed not only the ongoing challenges but also the critical need for sustainable social interventions, such as those currently implemented by the NPSG. – Rappler.com
