Improving the quality of education in the country hinges on the active involvement of local government units (LGUs), the Department of Education (DepEd) emphasized, as the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) launched the “Bayang Bumabasa: Mayors for Literacy” challenge — an initiative that mobilizes mayors to champion foundational learning and address the literacy crisis at the community level.

“Improving the quality of education is a marching order from the President, and we believe LGUs have a critical role to play,” said DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara in a statement issued by EDCOM 2 on June 30.

“If we can scale the kind of commitment and innovation we’ve seen in some of the top-performing LGUs, we can lift learning outcomes across the country,” added Angara, who previously served as an EDCOM 2 Commissioner.

Meanwhile, EDCOM 2 officially launched the Bayang Bumabasa: Mayors for Literacy challenge on June 30, tapping mayors to boost foundational learning.

The initiative is a nationwide social media video campaign calling on mayors across the country to take the lead in improving foundational literacy in their localities, according to EDCOM 2.

Coinciding with the first day in office of new and returning mayors, the campaign urges local leaders to make literacy a top priority in their education agenda.

With the theme “Bawat Bata Makakabasa, Para sa Bayang Bumabasa!”, mayors are encouraged to showcase their cities’ literacy innovations and best practices in short videos—mobilizing communities and setting the tone for collective action from day one.

The challenge officially kicks off with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who has accepted the inaugural call from EDCOM 2 and is set to release her video next week—setting the tone for other mayors nationwide to champion literacy from the outset.

Rooted in on-the-ground realities, this call to action highlights a pressing need. In a recent learning recovery site visit, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo emphasized the importance of empowering local governments.

“Local communities also need support, especially the LGUs. We need to engage the LGUs more,” he said.

“LGUs should really be involved,” Romulo added, noting that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should lend its support.

“Let’s lessen the burden on teachers and schools. If we truly want to reach children who struggle with reading, there needs to be coordination from the barangay to the city level,” he said. “Literacy should be everyone’s agenda, not just DepEd’s,” he stressed.

EDCOM 2 noted that the challenge also responds to “alarming results” from the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA), which showed that 2,851,215 students—or 52.26 percent of Grades 1 to 3 learners assessed—are not yet reading at grade level.

While the DepEd has “strengthened its remediation programs,” EDCOM 2 emphasized that sustainable progress requires the active involvement of local governments.

The public is encouraged to engage with the campaign by watching Belmonte’s video and staying tuned to see which other mayors will accept the challenge and share their cities’ literacy journeys.

“Their videos will be shared on their respective social media platforms using the campaign hashtags to amplify reach,” EDCOM 2 said. “The public is also enjoined to take note of their mayors’ commitments to foundational literacy and help ensure these initiatives translate into tangible improvements for children in their communities,” it added.

EDCOM 2, for its part, reiterated its commitment to thoroughly reviewing the Philippine education system. It emphasized that partnerships with local leaders and communities are “crucial for achieving meaningful and sustainable improvements in education quality and access for all Filipinos.”

Created under Republic Act No. 11899, EDCOM 2 is the congressional body tasked with evaluating the performance of the Philippine education sector. It is also mandated to craft legislative proposals to address the deepening education crisis in the country.