MANILA — Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda underscored the country’s worsening literacy crisis as she led her first briefing as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education and co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

During the May 25 EDCOM II briefing, Legarda cited findings showing that many Filipino students continue to struggle with basic reading skills across different grade levels.

“By Grade 3, many of our learners are still unable to read. At every grade level, one in four students is a struggling reader, and this worsens to more than 80 percent in Key Stage 3 (Grades 7 to 10),” Legarda noted from the EDCOM II report. “Even more alarming, in Grade 11, 87 percent of students were found not to be independent readers. This education issue is a national emergency.”

“Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, mahalaga sa akin na makita mismo ang mga hamon upang masiguro na maayos na naipatutupad ang mga sistemang kailangan. Hindi kailangang magsayang ng malaking gastos para ma-educate ang mga bata. Sa edad na sampu, dapat malinaw na sa kanila ang kahalagahan ng pagbabasa at pagsusulat. Kung nahuhuli pa rin, tungkulin nating tulungan silang makabawi,” Legarda added.

To address the issue, the senator proposed strengthening reading programs for early-grade learners, enhancing teacher training, ensuring timely delivery of quality learning materials, and integrating culture and history into foundational education.

Legarda also called for the revival of reading culture in the country and expressed support for the local publishing industry.

“Gusto kong bumalik tayo sa pagbabasa ng aklat. Let a thousand bookstores and writers bloom. In doing so, we educate our youth, and at the same time, we also sustain our writers, publishers, and creators,” she said.

The senator likewise emphasized the importance of history and cultural awareness among students.

“By Grade 5, dapat kaya na nilang ipaliwanag ang mga nagawa ni Rizal at ang kanyang mga adhikain. Mahalaga ang kasaysayan at kultura, dapat ito ay buhay sa ating mga paaralan,” she said.

To strengthen cultural education, Legarda proposed expanding cultural mapping programs in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, with teachers serving as cultural mappers in their respective communities.

She also said legislated observances should be conducted during class hours instead of suspending classes so students can continue learning about history, culture, and civic values while remaining in school.

Legarda pointed to the ARAL Law or Republic Act No. 12028, which she co-authored, as a key reform measure aimed at improving reading programs and addressing learning gaps.

She also reiterated support for several proposed education measures, including amendments to the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (E-GASTPE), the proposed Classroom Building Acceleration Program, and the Masustansyang Pagkain Bill.

The four-term senator also cited her previous legislative measures supporting education reform, including Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, Republic Act No. 10908 or the Integrated History Act of 2016, and Republic Act No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

“The solutions are within our reach, but they require urgency, coordination, and sustained political will. We must ensure that every Filipino child can read, understand, and participate meaningfully in nation-building,” Legarda said.

“Ang tunay na tagumpay ay hindi lang nasusukat sa pagpasa ng batas, kundi sa kung paano natin naiaangat ang kalidad ng pagtuturo at pagkatuto, at kung paano natin napapalakas ang pundasyon ng kinabukasan ng ating bansa,” she added.