ESL Philippines and DepEd SPED Center Baliwag Unite for ProRead Campaign at Baliwag North Central School
In a time when reading proficiency among Filipino students is at a critical low, meaningful partnerships between private organizations and the public education sector have never been more essential. This year, one such collaboration proved to be not only impactful but life-changing for many young learners.
ESL Philippines, through its advocacy arm Grateful Goodwill, partnered with the Department of Education SPED Center – Baliwag to launch the ProRead Campaign at Baliwag North Central School, a public elementary school in Bulacan. Through this joint effort, ten students from Grades 1 to 6 were granted full scholarships to undergo ESL’s intensive, specialist-led ProRead Program—a progressive reading intervention designed to help struggling readers thrive.
The Literacy Crisis: A Wake-Up Call for the Nation
According to the 2022 World Bank Philippines Learning Poverty Brief, more than 9 in 10 Filipino children aged 10 struggle to read and understand age-appropriate texts. The Philippines ranked among the lowest in global reading proficiency assessments such as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), with 81% of Filipino 15-year-olds unable to identify the main idea of a text.
Even more alarming is the lack of early detection for learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, which is believed to affect at least 10–15% of school-age children globally, with many cases in the Philippines going undiagnosed. Dyslexia is not a sign of low intelligence—children with dyslexia are often bright and creative—but without early intervention, they fall further behind each year, often labeled as lazy or inattentive, when in truth, they simply learn differently.
“In the Philippines, there is a significant gap in both awareness and resources for children with reading difficulties. Many schools, especially public ones, lack trained personnel and diagnostic tools to provide the support these students need,” shares an ESL reading specialist.
This is where ProRead becomes a game-changer.
The Power of ProRead: A Program That Delivers
ProRead is ESL Philippines’ flagship progressive reading program, carefully designed to address the needs of struggling readers, including those at risk for dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Built on seven key reading components, the program delivers structured, evidence-based instruction that supports every stage of a child’s reading development.
These components include:
- Phonological Awareness – building early sound recognition skills.
- Systematic Phonics Instruction – connecting letters and sounds to decode words.
- Explicit Instruction – direct, guided teaching with modeling and practice.
- Multisensory Instruction – using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods.
- Fluency Instruction – improving reading speed, accuracy, and expression.
- Comprehension Instruction – developing understanding and meaning-making.
- Vocabulary Instruction – expanding word knowledge for deeper comprehension.
What sets ProRead apart is its science-based, child-focused approach led by trained reading specialists. In just 10 sessions, students can make significant gains, with pre- and post-assessments used to track progress and inform instruction.
What Makes ProRead Unique?
- Conducted by specialists trained in reading disabilities.
- Adaptable for both in-school and after-school settings.
- Can be integrated without disrupting school curriculum.
- Provides evidence-based tools and progress data to schools and parents.
- Builds reading confidence and self-esteem among struggling learners.
At Baliwag North Central School, the program was implemented within the campus, ensuring accessibility and continuous support for the scholars—all made possible through ESL Philippines’ partnership with DepEd SPED Center – Baliwag.
A Partnership Built on Impact
The success of this campaign was not solely due to the program’s design, but the shared vision and hands-on support from the DepEd SPED Center – Baliwag, which helped facilitate the selection of scholars and endorsed the integration of the ProRead Program within the school schedule.
“This partnership gave our students a fighting chance. It gave them hope,” shared one of the supervising teachers from the SPED Center.
The students selected showed significant progress by the end of the 10-day program. Many were able to decode unfamiliar words with greater ease and read full sentences independently. More importantly, the students began to show a renewed interest in reading and greater participation in class.
The partnership also allowed educators from the SPED Center to observe ESL’s teaching methodology, opening up possibilities for future capacity-building trainings and the long-term sustainability of reading support in the public sector.
Grateful Goodwill: Education That Goes Beyond the Classroom
This partnership falls under Grateful Goodwill, the official community service and advocacy arm of ESL Philippines. Through this project, ESL is committed to reaching learners from marginalized or under-resourced communities by extending free services, resources, and educational support.
What makes this initiative even more sustainable is ESL’s “Enroll One, Help One” model—a percentage of every ProRead enrollment goes toward funding future ProRead scholars from public schools.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to read and succeed. We believe the private sector has a duty to step up and support our public schools. It’s not charity—it’s nation-building,” emphasized ESL’s Executive Director.
The Call for Collaboration: Join the Movement
The success of the ProRead Campaign at Baliwag North Central School sends a clear message: transformational change is possible when schools and organizations work together.
ESL Philippines is now actively inviting more public and private schools to partner under the ProRead Campaign. With flexible implementation models, reading specialists, and structured support materials, schools can offer life-changing literacy programs to their students without needing additional teachers or training.
Here’s what your school can gain through the partnership:
- Free reading screening for early detection.
- Dyslexia-sensitive instruction by trained professionals.
- Progress tracking data for parents and school records.
- Improved reading outcomes in just a few weeks.
📧 Get in touch with us at proreadph@gmail.com
🌏︎ Visit us on our official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ESLPhils
📞 0975-611-0565 | 0926-723-7582 | 0953-834-9350 | 0918-275-0436
One Child at a Time, One School at a Time
With the ProRead Campaign and the unwavering spirit of Grateful Goodwill, ESL Philippines continues to fulfill its mission of transforming lives through targeted, meaningful education. The partnership with DepEd SPED Center – Baliwag is proof that breakthrough learning is possible—when the right support meets the right need.
Because at ESL Philippines, we don’t just teach.
We fix what others missed.
