Senator Loren Legarda, Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, called for a coherent national strategy to end functional illiteracy in the country, following data showing that the number of functionally illiterate Filipinos has nearly doubled from 14.5 million three decades ago to 24.8 million in 2024.
“This figure is deeply troubling, but it also reflects the structural burden placed on DepEd,” Legarda said.
“We must give the department space for teaching.”
“DepEd now participates in 261 inter-agency bodies that meet regularly. Many laws have also expanded its mandate to support programs on health, nutrition, culture, sports, civic affairs, among others. These have overwhelmed our teachers with administrative and reporting tasks, taking time and focus away from teaching. Indeed, education is central to all aspects of governance and national development, but we must give the department space for teaching,” the veteran legislator said.
The seasoned lawmaker urged a full review of DepEd’s workload and structure to restore focus on foundational learning and reduce the administrative burden on teachers and principals.
“We cannot solve illiteracy with teachers buried in paperwork. They must have the time, training, and tools to teach,” the lady senator said.
She stressed the importance of data-driven targeting using granular results of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), learning poverty indicators, and classroom-based diagnostic assessments to direct funding and programs toward areas and sectors with the greatest literacy gaps.
“Educational equity means directing support to where it is most needed. Our next steps must make use of data to guide where we build classrooms, assign teachers, and deploy interventions,” Legarda stressed.
She also pushed for the full implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program under Republic Act No. 12028, which she co-authored, to address learning loss and help students reach their respective grade-level competencies, especially in reading, mathematics, and science.
“When children are taught beyond their current level of understanding, they lose confidence and interest. A level-appropriate approach is essential,” Legarda pointed out.
Legarda further pointed to the nationwide shortage of more than 147,000 classrooms, which constrains effective instruction and learning.
“When classrooms are simply not available, learning stops before it begins. Expanding and improving these spaces is the most direct investment we can make in learning itself,” she said.
“The rise in functional illiteracy is not a failure of effort, but a consequence of an overloaded and inefficient system.”
“The rise in functional illiteracy is not a failure of effort, but a consequence of an overloaded and inefficient system,” Legarda noted.
“DepEd must be strengthened through rationalized functions, data-informed policies, and sufficient infrastructure to restore focus on teaching and ensure that every Filipino child gains the literacy and understanding that define true education,” she concluded.
