THE BEGINNING of every school year brings a sense of hope. In Western Visayas, more than a million learners trooped back to public schools this June 16, welcomed by the Department of Education 6 with promises of improved instruction and safer learning environments. But behind the ceremonial first-day smiles lurks a troubling reality: Western Visayas is struggling with functional illiteracy, and it may cost the region its future.
According to the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Iloilo Province posted the lowest functional literacy rate in the region at only 68.4%. This means nearly one in three Ilonggos aged 10 to 64 lacks the basic ability to not only read and write, but also to understand and apply written information in daily life. Neighboring areas fared only slightly better: Iloilo City at 70.7%, Capiz at 70.9%, Guimaras at 73.0%, Antique at 73.8%, and Aklan at 73.9%. This is not a mere education concern — it is an economic emergency.
Functional literacy is a foundational skill for productivity. It determines whether a person can follow a work instruction manual, comprehend safety protocols, calculate daily wages, interpret digital content, or manage a small business. When nearly a third of a province’s population is functionally illiterate, the pool of trainable, adaptable, and employable individuals shrinks. Industries face a scarcity of skilled labor. Entrepreneurs struggle to find qualified staff. And the region’s competitiveness suffers as a result.
The PSA data demand a serious rethinking of how we are preparing our learners — not just for tests, but for life. While DepEd Region 6’s renewed focus on literacy and numeracy is commendable, it must be tied directly to the realities of the labor market. Are we teaching students what the economy actually requires?
For instance, the booming sectors in the region — construction, digital services, agriculture modernization, and hospitality — require both technical skills and strong comprehension abilities. Workers must be able to read diagrams, interpret measurements, follow protocols, and respond to written instructions. Without functional literacy, even government-funded training programs will fail to make meaningful impact.
Bridging the gap between classroom instruction and workplace readiness demands multi-sector collaboration. DepEd must work more closely with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Labor and Employment, local governments, and the private sector to integrate applied literacy and numeracy into curriculum design. Schools should adopt contextualized learning, where students encounter real-life situations and problem-solving tasks that reflect actual work environments.
Functional illiteracy is a barrier to employment, a drag on productivity, and a threat to Western Visayas’ economic resilience. If we want a future-ready workforce, we must start by ensuring our people can read it, understand it, and build it.
