BACOLOD City – To address the growing literacy gap, especially among young learners, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) committee on gender, family and childcare urged all 61 barangays to establish reading centers.
On Thursday, August 7, Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the said committee, spearheaded a committee hearing on her proposed measure titled Barangay Reading Corner Ordinance.
“We have learners from Grade 3 who can’t read, and that’s alarming,” she said.
The proposed ordinance, Flor said, aims to empower community educators, including daycare teachers, education advocates, and local organizations, to become reading champions in their own neighborhoods.
“If only we could have mini-libraries in the barangays, we could begin to create a culture of reading among our learners,” she added.
The committee hearing held at the SP Session Hall was attended by representatives from various barangays and key city department heads.
The city councilor expressed optimism that funds will be allocated for reading corners and regular literacy sessions.
The proposed local measure is up for approval on second reading by the SP.
As of 2024, the basic literacy rate among Filipinos aged 10 to 64 stands at 93.1 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS).
However, only 70.8 percent achieve functional literacy, indicating a significant 22.3 percent gap among those who can read but struggle with comprehension.
Amid these concerns, the Second Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), a congressional body tasked with conducting an independent review of the Philippine education system, continues its work in crafting long-term solutions to the country’s learning crisis./PN
