To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary Schools

1. Learning to read, write, and count is critical to a child’s success in school and later in life. One of the best predictors of whether or not a child will function competently in school and go on to contribute actively in the knowledge-based society is the level to which the child progresses in these foundational and predictive skills. Although reading, writing, and numeracy abilities continue to develop throughout the life span, the early childhood years, from birth to age eight, is the most important period for literacy and numeracy development. The ability to read, write, and count does not develop naturally, nor without careful planning and instruction. The availability and accessibility of age-appropriate and culturally sensitive materials for children are extremely important to encourage the regular practice of reading and counting.
2. In line with the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program, the Department of Education (DepEd) has strengthened the implementation of Every Child a Reader Program (ECARP). This Program is envisioned to establish and institutionalize, through a Multi-literacy and Numeracy Program, a continuous, sustainable and cost-effective professional development system (school-based mentoring or learning partnership program for technology transfer) to primary school teachers and thereby produce Filipino children with literacy and numeracy skills for lifelong learning.
3. Under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), the ECARP is allotted the amount of Twenty One Million Thirty-Four Thousand Pesos (P 21,034,000.00) for Fiscal Year 2013. The said amount shall be spent on the following activities:
   

   Activity	Allotment
   Orientation and Planning Workshop on the Multi­literacy and Numeracy Program for Chiefs and Coordinators	P 592,400.00
   Capacity Building of Teachers’ Trainers (Training of Trainers) on Pedagogical Approaches to Developing Literacy and Numeracy and to Providing Appropriate Assessment and Intervention	P 1,741,600.00
   Downloaded Fund for Regionwide Training of Grade 1 Teachers’ Trainors	P 18,700.000.00
   Total	P 21,034,000.00

4. The above activities to be undertaken by DepEd Central Office (CO) aim to capacitate and establish a pool of region and division trainers who will, in turn, train selected Grade 1 teachers who will serve as mentors/learning partners in school-based mentoring/learning partnership program.
5. The support funds shall be downloaded to the regions in the total amount of Eighteen Million Seven Hundred Thousand Pesos (P 18,700,000.00) to fully implement the initiated reading and numeracy program interventions of the Department. Standard allocation per region is found in Enclosure No. 1.
6. Upon release of the allotment by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the DepEd CO, the Budget Division-Financial and Management Service (FMS) shall issue the Sub-Allotment Release Order (Sub-ARO) to the regional offices (ROs). After receipt of Sub-ARO, the implementing units (IUs) and the ROs shall request from the DBM-Regional Office (RO) the corresponding cash requirements or Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA).
7. Management and disbursement of the funds, including the submission of quarterly physical and financial accomplishment reports every third day of the succeeding quarter (April 3, July 3, October 3 and January 3) using the prescribed template in Enclosure No. 2 to the Schools DO concerned, shall be the responsibility of the SHs of the implementing schools subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
8. The DO shall conduct progress monitoring of the implementation of the planned activities of the program and consolidate and submit the consolidated Physical and Financial Accomplishments using Enclosure No. 3 every fifth day of the month of the succeeding quarter (April 5, July 5, October 5 and January 5) to the DepEd RO concerned, copy furnished the BEE, DepEd CO at bee.sdd.2013@gmail.com and Office of the Planning Service-Planning and Programming Division at opsppd.deped@gmail.com, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.
9. The RO shall conduct quality assurance and monitor pertinent DO activities and provide the latter with appropriate technical assistance.
10. To ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the program, an evaluation shall be conducted by a composite task force in coordination with the Office of Planning Service.
11. All existing Orders and Memoranda inconsistent with this Order are rescinded.
12. For more information and inquiries, all concerned may contact the Office of the Director, Bureau of Elementary Education, DepEd Central Office, 2nd Floor, Bonifacio Building, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City at telefax no.: (02) 632-7586 or at email address: bee.sdd.2013@gmail.com.
13. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

Encl.:
As stated
Reference:
DepEd Order: No. 50, s. 2012

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
Learning Area, READING
FUNDS
POLICY
PROGRAMS

DO_s2013_40