Gatchalian urges DILG to create local literacy councils for effective literacy programs

PHILIPPINES, May 3 - Press Release
May 2, 2025

Gatchalian urges DILG to create local literacy councils for effective literacy programs

Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to mandate local government units (LGUs) to establish local literacy coordinating councils that will implement effective literacy programs.

He reiterated the important role of LGUs in combating illiteracy, citing Valenzuela City's example of conducting house-to-house checks to identify out-of-school individuals who remain functionally illiterate.

During the recent Senate hearing on the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), the senator flagged that more than 18 million Filipinos remain functionally illiterate, even after completing basic education.

The lawmaker cited data analyzed by his office from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which found that 18.96 million Filipinos are still unable to read, write, compute, and comprehend.

"This should not happen. The very basic goal of basic education is to make Filipinos functionally literate. It's non-negotiable that a student who will graduate from the basic education system should become functionally literate, but that's not the case now," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

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Gatchalian hinimok ang DILG na bumuo ng local literacy councils para sa mas epektibong literacy programs

Nanawagan si Senador Win Gatchalian sa Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) na atasan ang mga local government units (LGUs) na magtatag ng mga lokal na literacy coordinating councils na siyang magpapatupad ng mga epektibong programa sa literacy o kakayahang magbasa, sumulat, at magbilang.

Binigyang-diin niya ang mahalagang papel ng mga LGU sa paglaban sa illiteracy, tulad aniya sa kanilang lungsod sa Valenzuela kung saan nagsasagawa ng house-to-house na pagsusuri upang matukoy ang mga out-of-school individuals na nananatiling functionally illiterate.

Sa ginanap na pagdinig sa Senado kaugnay ng 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), binigyang-babala ng senador na mahigit 18 milyong Pilipino ang nananatiling functionally illiterate, kahit na nakatapos na ng basic education.

Ang datos ay mula sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na sinuri ng opisina ng mambabatas, na nagsasabing 18.96 milyong Pilipino pa rin ang hindi marunong bumasa, sumulat, magkwenta, at umunawa.

"Hindi dapat ito mangyari. Ang pinakapayak na layunin ng basic education ay gawing functionally literate ang mga Pilipino. Hindi pwedeng palampasin na ang isang mag-aaral na magtatapos sa basic education ay hindi pa rin functionally literate, pero iyon ang realidad ngayon," ani Gatchalian, Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education.