Benguet State University (BSU), represented by Alexandra Sad-ang, actively participated in the second run of the Higher Education Institution Brigada Pagbasa Initiative Training of Trainers (HEI-BPI ToT) held on July 7–9, 2025, in Iloilo City. The training was organized by the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) in partnership with Central Philippine University (CPU) and World Vision Philippines.
The event brought together faculty members, extension program and NSTP implementers, and volunteer coordinators from PNVSCA partner HEIs in Regions VI, IX, XII, XIII, and BARMM, alongside representatives from DepEd Region VI and local government and school board officials.
The training aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to implement Brigada Pagbasa and/or the Bawat Bata Makababasa Project (BBMP) as institutional volunteering initiatives, provide a platform for HEIs to engage in structured literacy volunteerism, facilitate knowledge-sharing on volunteer-led reading programs, and strengthen the institutionalization of BP and BBMP in HEIs’ extension and volunteer service programs.
This training is part of PNVSCA’s broader response to the EDCOM II Year One Report, which highlights the urgent need for collaborative action to address challenges in the Philippine education system. In line with this, PNVSCA has forged partnerships with nearly 80 colleges and universities nationwide to promote volunteerism as a tool for education reform.
To support this movement, PNVSCA, through its Multi-Sectoral Advisory Body (MSAB), issued Resolution No. 01-2024, which approved the promotion of Brigada Pagbasa as a national volunteer platform for reading tutorials. This initiative seeks to bring together advocates and supporters of education to help improve Filipino children’s reading abilities through collective and community-based efforts.
Benguet State University also hosted the first HEI-BPI ToT on March 17–19, 2024, in La Trinidad, Benguet. That training focused on building the capacity of HEI volunteers to implement effective reading interventions and promote a culture of literacy in their communities. The outcomes and highlights of the initial training were presented during the MSAB First Quarter Meeting on April 29, 2025. During the same meeting, the Department of Education’s BBMP was endorsed as a priority program for nationwide volunteer engagement in literacy, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts across all sectors to maximize impact.//
Dr. Sad-ang shares feedback on the first training hosted by BSU
Dr. Sad-ang shares feedback on the first training hosted by BSU
Dr. Sad-ang poses with Dir. Donald James D. GAWE the PNVSCA director during the 2nd training in Iloilo