DUNONG Program – Social Impact Project on Education in the Philippines
2026.03.24
Bridging the Gap: The DUNONG Program’s Mission for Literacy and Nutrition
From February 20 to March 1, 12 students from various faculties of University of Tsukuba participated on a Social Impact Project in the Philippines. This activity focused on the DUNONG Program, a collaborative effort between the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and the Department of Education (DepEd) aimed at improving reading proficiency among Grade 4 to Grade 6 students in the Philippines.
A Holistic Approach to Learning
The DUNONG Program is built on the philosophy that a student’s ability to learn is tied to their environment and health. This is addressed through three interconnected pillars:
READ Component: Managed by Ugnayan ng Pahinungod (the university’s volunteer arm), this initiative brings remedial reading courses to selected elementary schools in Laguna. Each school identifies 30 students in urgent need of literacy support, who then receive specialized instruction for one hour a week over a 120-day cycle.
Nutri-Nurture Component: Recognizing that hunger is a barrier to education, the UPLB Institute of Human Nutrition and Food (IHNF) ensures that every child in the READ program receives a daily boiled egg. In partnership with the National Egg Board, this protein supplementation aims to provide a measurable improvement in students’ nutritional status.
TEACH-OA Component: To ensure long-term sustainability, the UPLB Organic Agriculture Research, Development, and Extension Center (OARDEC) trains teachers to manage school gardens. These organic plots serve as a direct resource for the schools’ broader feeding programs.
Collaborative Innovation in Laguna
Throughout the week, UT and UPLB students immersed themselves in these three components. The teams visited different schools across Los Baños, Bay, Nagcarlan, and Sta. Cruz to conduct READ teaching sessions. They also observed the Nutri-Nurture feeding program at Bayog Elementary School and visited the OARDEC farm to study local agricultural initiatives.
Teams also had an opportunity to visit SEARCA (Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture) to discuss sustainability efforts in Food Security and Agriculture; and UPLB Land Grant at Sierra Madre Mountain Range to learn about the forest rehabilitation efforts. Sierra Madre is known for protecting communities in Luzon against typhoons. Teams also volunteered to conduct tree-planting activities in areas previously damaged by illegal logging.
Students discussed with various stakeholders during their immersion in each component. After each field activity, four mixed teams of UT and UPLB students held debriefings to reflect on their observations. These sessions culminated in a series of workshops where students drafted innovative proposals for local stakeholders. By blending Japanese educational practices with local strategies, the students presented a range of solutions—some of which were identified by the UPLB Chancellor and school representatives for immediate implementation.
UT and UPLB students exchanged their observations and reflections during their participation in the different DUNONG Program components. They exchanged ideas for potential improvements and co-created proposals based on their discussions.
Proposal Brush Up Workshop with UPLB Chancellor, Prof. Jose V. Camacho Jr. Each team presented their ideas to Chancellor Camacho and received feedback to brush up their presentations
Teams presented their proposed improvements to volunteers and officials of the participating schools for the DUNONG Program. They discussed the feasibility of implementing each proposal.
From Luzon to Mindanao: Expanding the Vision
The project’s impact extended beyond the initial pilot sites in Laguna. Following the UPLB activities, the UT students traveled to Davao del Norte State College (DNSC) in Mindanao. They were welcomed by DNSC President Prof. Joy Sorrosa—herself a UT alumna—who facilitated a multicultural co-learning workshop.
Because the DUNONG Program is currently a pilot initiative based in Luzon, the visit to Panabo City offered a unique opportunity to test the concept in a different regional context. Mixed teams of UT and DNSC students analyzed the local resources and stakeholders available in Mindanao, brainstorming how the DUNONG model could be adapted to fit the specific needs of the southern Philippines.
By the end of the program, the UT students had done more than just participate in a literacy project; they had become ambassadors for the DUNONG concept. Their work helped bridge the gap between regions, potentially laying the groundwork for a nationwide strategy to combat “learning poverty” in the Philippines.
Students had a chance to visit Panabo Mangrove Forest.