01/06/2026
Legarda confronts literacy crisis in first EDCOM II briefing as Basic Education Chair
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education and Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), faced head-on the urgent challenges in Philippine education during her first EDCOM II briefing on May 25, 2026.
Citing findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), Legarda emphasized that a significant number of students are falling behind in foundational skills.
“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 EDCOM’s 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 crisis, Legarda called for a multi-pronged approach, including strengthening early-grade reading programs, improving teacher training, ensuring the timely delivery of quality learning materials, and integrating culture and history into foundational learning.
She called for a return to a culture of reading, advocating 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,” Legarda added.
The senator also emphasized the role of education in fostering national identity and cultural awareness. She raised concerns about whether students understand the significance of Philippine history and heritage.
“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 help achieve this, she proposed strengthening cultural mapping programs in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, with teachers serving as cultural mappers in their own communities.
Legarda further stressed that legislated observances need not result in class cancellations, urging that these be observed during class hours instead, so that students can learn about history, culture, and civic values while remaining in school.
The four-term Senator also pointed to the ARAL Law (RA 12028), which she co-authored, as a cornerstone reform to strengthen reading programs and address severe learning gaps. She reiterated her support for key legislative measures aimed at uplifting the education sector. Among these are the proposed amendments to the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (E-GASTPE), which seeks to establish the Basic Education Voucher Program to expand access to private basic education; the proposed Classroom Building Acceleration Program, which will fast-track the construction of safe and resilient classrooms by enabling LGUs and civil society organizations to implement DepEd-approved projects using national government funds; and the Masustansyang Pagkain Bill, which promotes proper nutrition among learners, an essential factor in cognitive development and academic performance.
A long-time champion of education reform, Legarda co-sponsored Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which institutionalized the K to 12 program to strengthen foundational competencies and prepare students for higher education and employment. She also authored Republic Act No. 10908, or the Integrated History Act of 2016, mandating the integration of Philippine history and culture into the K to 12 curriculum, and Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which expanded access to free higher education at state universities and colleges.
“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.
Legarda emphasized that sincere public service means being willing to take on even the toughest challenges. Drawing on her experience as former Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, she is determined to ensure that education systems are strengthened across all levels.
“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,” Legarda concluded. (30)
