Gatchalian urges more LGU involvement vs. functional illiteracy

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday proposed to involve local government units (LGUs) in efforts to improve functional literacy, as he expressed alarm over the recent report showing that functional illiteracy has doubled to 24.8 million Filipinos in 2024.

“We will not resolve the country’s education crisis if many Filipinos remain functionally illiterate, which nearly doubled to 24.8 million in the last 30 years,” Gatchalian said in a social media post.

“Mobilizing local government units is one of the strategies I have been proposing to boost functional literacy,” he added.

Under the National Literacy Council Act, which Gatchalian proposed, the local school boards are tasked as the de facto local literacy councils in provinces, cities, and municipalities.

“Kung aktibong makikilahok ang ating mga LGUs sa pagsugpo sa functional illiteracy, mas madali nating maaabot ang mga kababayan nating nangangailangan ng tulong,” he said.

(If our LGUs actively participate in combating functional illiteracy, we can easily reach our fellow citizens who need assistance.)

The Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey described functional illiteracy as the lack of comprehension to use basic reading and writing skills in everyday life.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) said 30 years after it was established in 1993, the number of functionally illiterate Filipinos has almost doubled to 24.8 million despite the restructuring of education agencies.

The EDCOM 2 is the Congressional body mandated to undertake a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the performance of the Philippine education sector. — BM, GMA Integrated News