ILOILO – From classrooms to communities, Iloilo has set a new national standard in education after posting dramatic gains in literacy and numeracy — an achievement the Department of Education (DepEd) lauded as proof that innovative local programs can change learning outcomes.
At the Provincial Education Summit on Sept. 12, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ernesto Servillon Jr. revealed that more than 450 of the province’s 1,172 schools now report zero non-readers, crediting the flagship “Tib-ong Bumulutho” program for the turnaround.
“Over 92 percent of our Key Stage 1 learners are now grade-level ready. This shows the program is working,” Servillon said, noting that frustration-level readers in the early grades dropped from 26.42 percent to just 7.71 percent in two years.
Key Stage 2 (Grades 4-6) also posted strong results with 82.06 percent proficiency, while in Key Stage 3 (Grades 7-10), 76.02 percent of learners are now reading, writing, and comprehending at the instructional or independent level.
On numeracy, Iloilo posted an 8.42 percent overall decrease in non-numerates, with Grade 7 showing the biggest jump — a 29.21 percent drop.
In Grades 1-6, nine in 10 students now meet the required benchmarks.
Servillon cautioned that challenges remain, especially in the higher grades.
“After strengthening beginner reading in Key Stage 1, we must now shift to developmental reading for Key Stages 2 and 3,” he said.
Education Undersecretary Peter Irving Corvera praised Iloilo as “a laboratory for educational excellence” and urged other provinces to adopt its blueprint.
“Iloilo’s effective collaboration between local government, schools, and communities exemplifies what can be accomplished when all stakeholders come together to prioritize education,” he stressed.
The summit, led by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., carried the theme “Effective, Relevant, and Transformative Education in Iloilo” — aptly summing up the province’s push to make sure no learner is left behind./PN
