DepEd says 18M ‘functionally illiterate’ Filipinos cover wider age group
The Department of Education. Photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) clarified that the survey showing that almost 19 million Filipinos are considered “functionally illiterate” has been misinterpreted, as it actually represents a wider age group.
According to DepEd Undersecretary Ronald Mendoza in a position paper, the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), actually included aged 10 to 64 individuals in that age range — not solely students or recent graduates.
READ: 18.9M Filipino graduates in 2024 found to be functionally illiterate
“Eighty percent of 18-year-olds—those expected to graduate Senior High this year—are functionally literate,” said Undersecretary Ronald Mendoza in a statement.
“That’s 1.5 million out of 1.9 million, a much more accurate picture than the headlines suggested,” he added.
Misunderstanding
DepEd said the misunderstanding partly stems from the PSA’s revised definition of functional literacy, which now requires the ability to read, write, compute, and comprehend complex information.
“Using the previous definitions, the basic and functional literacy rates would have been 95.1 percent and 93.1 percent, respectively. However, under the revised criteria, these figures have dropped to 90.0 percent and 70.8 percent, respectively,” Mendoza said.
With this, DepEd assured the public that it is pushing forward with long-term reforms under its 2025–2035 Quality Basic Education Development Plan, which includes curriculum upgrades, stronger early literacy programs, improved assessment tools and school-based intervention.
READ: DepEd to train students in critical thinking, Angara says
The department is also expanding the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and collaborating with local governments through the Literacy Coordinating Council to strengthen community-based programs.
“We’re making progress, but we need to do more,” Mendoza said.
“Clear data, smart investments, and evidence-based programs will help us get there,” he added.
