Filipinos’ literacy rate lower in poor regions, says report

April 14, 2025 , 06:57 PM

By Rodolfo Dacleson II

(April 14, 2025) – The literacy rate of Filipinos further dropped in poverty-stricken regions, according to an analysis of separate surveys by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

A report from Philstar.com revealed the data after cross-referencing the PSA’s Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) in 2024 and the poverty incidence statistics in 2023.

“Eleven out of the country’s 18 regions with higher-than-average poverty incidence in 2023 also recorded below-average functional literacy rates in the 2024 survey,” said the report.

Functional literacy refers to one’s ability to “read, write, compute, and comprehend,” while basic literacy measures a person’s ability to “read and write,” according to the PSA.

The report said the country’s average poverty incidence in 2023 was 10.9%. The average functional literacy rate was 70.8% in 2024, while basic literacy rate among children aged five to nine was 93.1%.

It also cited examples the Zamboanga Peninsula and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, wherein poverty incidence was high at 24.2% and 23.5%, respectively in 2023. The functional literacy of their population aged 10 to 64 in 2024, meanwhile, stood at 59.3% and 64.7%, respectively.

An independent study in 2019 conducted among students in Lanao Del Norte found that “economic disparities” affect their attitudes toward learning and peer relationships, leading to lower academic accomplishments.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) noted that more must be done to close the gap between basic and functional literacies in the Philippines.

“The recent FLEMMS data highlights the issue that 30% of our population might be lacking essential literacy skills. This aligns with our internal analysis and further confirms that literacy remains a critical concern that needs immediate action,” said EDCOM 2 executive director Karol Mark Yee, as quoted by Philstar.com.

Lawmakers and civic groups have been clamoring for educational reforms to address the learning crisis in the Philippines amid the country’s low scores in international assessments.

(PM)

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