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Neil Jayson Servallos - The Philippine Star
May 2, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Following a government survey that flagged widespread reading and comprehension issues, Education Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday reaffirmed the Department of Education (DepEd)’s commitment to ensure that every Filipino learner becomes functionally literate.
“We will not let any child fall behind in reading and understanding. The recent FLEMMS results on functional literacy highlight what we have long recognized –literacy must be at the heart of our education reforms,” Angara said in a statement, referring to the 2024 functional literacy, education and mass media survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The survey revealed that over 18 million junior high school graduates struggle with basic comprehension, categorizing them as functionally illiterate.
Angara said DepEd was bolstering its interventions, including improvements on its remedial and literacy programs, to ensure students would catch up.
“We have also deepened our teaching and assessment methods. Instead of memorization, we are shaping students to be critical thinkers and have 21st century skills,” Angara said.
He emphasized that functional literacy is a responsibility the agency owes to every Filipino student.
“DepEd is taking action to correct the past and prepare every child for a stronger future. Ensuring that every Filipino learner is functionally literate is a commitment we owe to our constituents,” he added.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian expressed alarm at the number of “functionally illiterate” Filipinos after completing basic education.
“There are approximately 5.8 million people who are not basically literate. There are high school and junior high school graduates who did not pass the new definition of functional literacy. In other words, 18 million graduates from the system are not functionally literate,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian, who presided over a Senate committee on basic education hearing on Wednesday, pointed out that poverty and illiteracy are linked.
“As long as there’s somebody who cannot read, write and compute, there will be poverty in our country,” he stressed.
A national emergency
The PSA findings signal that the education crisis is now at a “national emergency level,” the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said.
“This is not just a crisis – it’s a national emergency,” said House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro.
“When one out of five senior high school graduates cannot comprehend a simple story despite years of schooling, we are looking at a systemic failure that threatens our country’s future. This is proof that our education system is failing and that the current administration is not giving it enough attention,” Castro added.
Former ACT Teachers representative Antonio Tinio said the alarming literacy crisis is a direct result of chronic underfunding of public education.
“The PSA study confirms what we’ve long known – that provinces with the highest functional illiteracy rates also have the highest poverty incidence. This is not coincidental. When children cannot read with comprehension, they are effectively locked out of opportunities for social mobility and economic advancement,” Tinio said.
Castro and Tinio called for immediate and decisive action to address the crisis, including the passage of House Bill 1783 or the Education as Priority in the National Appropriations (EDNA) Act, which would mandate the allocation of at least six percent of the GDP to education.
“We need to double our current education budget to address classroom shortages, hire more qualified teachers, increase the salaries of teachers and education support personnel, provide quality learning materials and implement effective literacy interventions,” Castro said.
Castro and Tinio urged the public to recognize the literacy crisis as a national emergency requiring immediate, sustained and substantial intervention.
“This is not just about education – this is about our country’s future,” Castro concluded. “A functionally illiterate population cannot build a progressive, sovereign and just society. The time to act is now, before we lose an entire generation to functional illiteracy.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is encouraging incoming senior high school students to enroll in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM strand to foster their critical thinking and, ultimately, secure high-paying jobs.
Jayeel Cornelio, DOST science education institute director, said the STEM strand, which falls under the academic track, “builds essential skills such as creativity, critical thinking, futures-thinking and problem-solving skills.” – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, EJ Macababbad, Jose Rodel Clapano
