iRead 2026: A Developmental Communication Model for Foundational Literacy

Community in the modern world is perhaps better understood as a web of invisible threads. These threads that connect us may lie unnoticed, sometimes for years, until they are pulled.

Last August 2025, that pull came in the form of a message on the Facebook page of the Rotary Club of San Juan North Inc. (RCSJN). It was a request for sponsorship of a literacy initiative from Mark Lawrence Mendoza, a third-year Development Communication major at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). I had never met Mark at that time. During a season rampant with spam messages and the height of a Rotary Club President’s busy schedule preparing for the Governor’s visit, I honestly almost missed his message.

I am glad now that I didn’t. Mark wasn’t a stranger at all. Six years ago, even before I joined RCSJN, he was the President of our Interact Club of San Juan National High School English Club. He also served as the District Interact Secretary the following year. He introduced himself as such in his message, and that is what truly caught my attention. I replied promptly that the club would consider his proposal as part of our service project lineup.

iRead: Not Just Another Literacy Project

This connection, made possible through our common Rotary experience, was the catalyst for iRead 2026, one of RCSJN’s most successful and inspiring projects of the year. Mark is currently an officer of the UPLB Development Communicators’ Society (the Society) and serves as the activity head of iRead. This flagship project of the Society conducts a 10-week literacy intervention program for the benefit of struggling Grade 3 learners in public elementary schools in the Municipality of Los Baños. For the past two years, the program has added a thematic aspect where reading materials focus on a UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal. The theme for iRead 2026 is Environmental Management.

Accepting Mark’s proposal was an easy decision. The project design was simple but comprehensive, sustainable, and aligned well with two of Rotary’s Areas of Focus. Working with an alumnus of our Interact program is also a powerful story of continuity—one of the priorities in the "Unite for Good: Rotary Year.

This continuity came full circle during Session 10 of the program, where we reunited Mark with his former club; the Interact Club of San Juan National High School English Club who volunteered as tutors. Lastly, we knew the country was facing an educational crisis. iRead 2026 could be our small contribution toward helping struggling students. We just didn’t realize that iRead was not just another literacy project. Based on our experience, we modestly propose iRead can be adopted as a model approach for foundational literacy interventions for local communities and Rotary clubs.There are four good reasons for this.

Alignment with National Priorities

First, iRead’s approach aligns exactly with the national priority for addressing the educational crisis. About eight weeks into the 11-week program, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) released its landmark report, The Turning Point. The report confirmed what we already feared: nine out of ten Filipino children struggle to comprehend basic text by age ten (Grade 3). The critical takeaway is that foundational literacy must have the sole objective of helping struggling Grade 3 learners reach their current grade-level reading and comprehension ability.

iRead’s design does exactly that. It focuses exclusively on struggling Grade 3 learners. EDCOM II identified Grade 3 as the "make-or-break" year—the stage where a child must transition from learning to read to reading to learn. If a child misses this window, the door to a productive life of learning often swings shut. Statistically, if a Grade 3 student is only 30% proficient in reading, that score could worsen to less than 1% by Grade 12 if no intervention is provided.

The Science of Development Communication

Second, iRead 2026 achieved its goal of raising the reading and comprehension levels of its 60 beneficiaries. In just 10 weeks, these struggling learners reached "high to very high"

comprehension levels in the final assessments. Teachers and parents alike noted that the participants significantly increased their self-confidence and enthusiasm for reading.

The secret to this success is its foundation in Development Communication. This means the program is participative but grounded in science and data. Utilizing the Department of Education’s Modified Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (mCRLA), our partners in the Society identified 60 struggling learners at Lopez Elementary School. Through surveys, they assessed the particular preferences, contexts, and attitudes of the students.

While traditional remedial programs are also data-driven, they necessarily rely on professional faculty and rigid modes of instruction. In iRead, the "teachers" are university volunteers acting as Ates and Kuyas from the neighboring UPLB campus. When a child sees their mentor as an older sibling rather than a traditional authority figure, a bond is built organically. This bond is the key ingredient. Reading, after all, is a social activity, not just a technical one.

A Model of Fiscal Efficiency

Third, iRead 2026 achieved all of its goals on a budget of just ₱54,000. This modest sum covers 11 weeks of instruction, reading kits, and nutritious meals—a fraction of the cost of traditional, professional-led programs where a huge percentage of the budget goes toward honorariums. Servicing a single cohort in a professional setting may cost triple this budget just to ensure competent tutors are involved.

iRead owes its economical approach to the support of the UPLB student community. The week before every session, the Society puts out a call for volunteers across different organizations and colleges. A weekly corps of roughly 20 volunteers supports the facilitators. These volunteers are oriented online the weekend before each session on how to facilitate the learning modules, ensuring quality without the heavy overhead.

A Scalable Supplemental Model Compatible with Rotary

Fourth, iRead 2026 has the potential to be an alternative, scalable model for foundational literacy. The mainstream scalable model often cited by EDCOM II is the "Iloilo Model". In

Iloilo, reading proficiency improved from 30% to as much as 90% following a proof-of-concept initiative. Synergeia Foundation, the NGO partner behind that initiative, identifies the necessary ingredients for such a transformation: a disciplined data-driven approach, personal ownership of literacy outcomes by LGU leaders, and the centralized mobilization of the community.

But what happens in communities where the situation isn’t as neat, centralized, or where access to the local government is challenging? This is where iRead 2026 can serve as a supplemental model. It represents a bottom-up, horizontal approach. Much like the Iloilo model, it is data- driven and involves the larger community. The distinction is in the origin of the initiative and the modest budget required. By tapping into a volunteer network, iRead achieved significant results for only PhP54,000. 

That is a project any Rotary club can adopt. Imagine if several Rotary clubs adopted such a program in their own communities with a strong partner institution like the Society. Successful local initiatives like iRead can even inspire LGU leaders to scale and step up Foundational Literacy programs in the community. The potential for lasting impact is truly great.

Rotary truly shines when it can bridge underserved communities to traditional support systems.

The Essence of Community

The essence of community is, after all, communication. iRead 2026 reminds us that our greatest resources are in the connections we maintain. When Mark Lawrence Mendoza sent that message, he was pulling on a thread that connected his past to the future of 60 young learners. Because he reached out, 60 children in Lopez Elementary can now read the stories that will shape their lives.

Our hope is that these same learners will one day pull that same thread of connection for others. And when such thread is pulled, Rotary will again respond with purpose.

Written by: Good President Jojo Farcon, Rotary Club of San Juan North