MANILA – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has called on colleges and universities to actively support literacy programs in their local communities as part of a whole-of-government effort to improve functional literacy rates.

In a memorandum, CHED urged Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to integrate functional literacy initiatives into their extension services, in line with Republic Act 7165, the Act Creating the Literacy Coordinating Council.

The call comes after the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) cited findings from the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) in its final report. The survey revealed that nearly 30 percent of Filipinos aged 10 to 64 are functionally illiterate—including 18 percent of college students and 7 percent of those with graduate degrees. The report also noted that the number of functionally illiterate Filipinos has risen to 11.8 million, surpassing the 10.3 million recorded in 1991.

CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis highlighted the crucial role of HEIs in complementing basic education efforts, especially in underserved communities.

“True nation-building requires that we lift up the millions of Filipinos who still fall within the 10 percent illiteracy gap. We are urging our Higher Education Institutions to go beyond traditional extension work and adopt a scientific, outcomes-based approach to functional literacy,” Chair Agrupis said.

CHED has introduced the Basic and Functional Literacy Framework, which sets standards for designing, implementing, and evaluating literacy extension programs. The framework emphasizes data-driven planning, science-based teaching methods for children and adults, and outcomes-based activities with measurable results.

The Commission also encouraged HEIs to utilize the National Service Training Program (NSTP), particularly the Literacy Training Service (LTS) component, to extend literacy programs into local communities. Research-oriented institutions are likewise urged to conduct action research to develop new literacy strategies and technologies.

“We have long recognized that the education crisis is too big for any single agency to solve alone. This game-changing partnership between CHED and DepEd, mobilizing our colleges and universities, is exactly the kind of ‘whole-of-nation’ approach we need,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said.

“By deploying our tertiary students and faculty to support functional literacy, we are not just addressing learning gaps in basic education; we are grounding our higher education extension services in the most urgent realities of our communities. We hope this sparks a nationwide movement where every HEI becomes a hub for literacy and lifelong learning,” he added.

CHED urged university presidents and officers-in-charge to review and update their extension programs to align with the national literacy goal. The Commission will conduct regular assessments through its regional offices and the Office of Student Development and Services to support policy enhancement and program development.

The initiative aligns with CHED’s A.C.H.I.E.V.E Agenda, which seeks to ensure quality education at every stage of life and to equip Filipinos with essential reading, writing, computation, and comprehension skills.