Fr. Michael I. Pineda, SJ was a Tulong Dunong tutor during his high school days at the Ateneo de Manila University. His experiences as a tutor and the impacts of the program to the tutees inspired him to innovate the Tulong Dunong Program (TD) for the Atene de Davao University Junior High School (ADDU JHS). The ADDU JHS partnered with the Department of Education Davao City Division (DEPED Davao) to conduct the tutorial sessions with Kabacan and SIR Public Elementary Schools. The project implementors, partners and other stakeholders recommended the continuation and expansion of the program. Thus, the ADDU JHS and the DEPED Davao entered into a two-year memorandum of agreement for the full implementation of the Tulong Dunong Program.

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The four partner Public Elementary Schools (PES) are Kabacan Elementary School (KES), SIR Elementary School (SIRES), Matina Aplaya Elementary School (MAES) and Maa Central Elementary School (MCES).