With the Philippines ranking last among 79 countries in reading comprehension, House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto said on Sunday, Sept. 11, the government should again build school libraries.
Recto, representative of Batangas’ 6th district, cited the need for library construction following the country’s lowest score in reading comprehension based on the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
PISA is a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that examines students’ knowledge in reading, mathematics, and science.
“We should end the moratorium in building new libraries. A school without one is like a swimming pool without water,” Recto said in a statement.
The lawmaker lamented that building Philippine libraries has taken “a long vacation from the national budget as a distinct program with specific funding.”
Back in 2006, he noted the allocation of P120 million to build 60 library hubs and 12 big learning resource centers.
The congressman pointed out the program was still highlighted in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2014 budget but was no longer given much attention in the following years.
He said the government may take a “remedial measure” by instituting in next year’s proposed national budget the increase in the DepEd’s new buildings fund of P5.91 billion.
READ: PH reels from poor ranking in reading, science and mathematics among 79 countries
“Kung totoong (If it is true that) 900,000 enrollees ang bagong lipat (were newly transferred) from private to public schools, ‘yan pa lang 22,500 dagdag na rooms na ang kailangan (that’s already 22,500 additional rooms needed),” Recto said, noting that only 2,379 new classrooms can only be built from DepEd’s proposed budget.
“Maglaan tayo ng pondo para sa libraries sa (Let’s allocate funds for libraries in the) 2023 budget. It's time to turn the page and reverse the neglect of this vital school facility,” Recto said.
The Philippines’ lowest test scores in reading comprehension among 79 countries in 2018 had been worsened by Covid-19 as less than 15 percent of schoolchildren were able to read simple texts due to school closures, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
“If we want our kids to read, read, read, we should build, build, build libraries,” Recto stressed.
Recto suggested that school libraries should have free wi-fi so that students can tap the "online universe of reading materials waiting to be explored by curious minds."