A  recent assessment on young learners revealed at the National Literacy Conference paints a troubling picture: only 15 percent of Grades 1 to 3 pupils in Philippine public schools can read at grade level.

This means a staggering 85 percent of young learners are struggling readers, a statistic that should alarm every educator, policymaker, and parent in the country.

Reading is not merely another academic skill—it is the foundation upon which all other learning is built. If children cannot read by the early grades, they will continue to fall behind in every subject, from math to science to social studies.

Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Executive Director Karol Mark Yee did not mince words when he described the situation as a “serious early-grade literacy crisis.” Assessments conducted in July confirmed that only a small fraction of learners are performing at grade level, with the most affected regions being VIII, IX, and XII. The obstacles were cited as inadequate reading resources, insufficient teacher training, and limited parental and community involvement. These are not new problems—yet their persistence has allowed the crisis to worsen.

To its credit, the government has begun responding with structural reforms. The Department of Education (DepEd) reported a dramatic 289 percent increase in textbook procurement this year, moving from just 27 titles procured over an entire decade to 105 titles in 2024–2025 alone. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that learning materials must be complete, accurate, and up-to-date if the country hopes to improve learning quality.

The agency is also preparing to deliver over 103 million learning resources in 2026, supported by strengthened procurement frameworks under Republic Act 1200 and DepEd Order 8. These improvements aim to ensure that books no longer arrive late—or incomplete—to classrooms that need them most.

At the policy level, the extension of EDCOM 2’s mandate to 2027, approved by the Senate, signals a recognition that deep systemic reforms cannot be rushed. EDCOM 2 has supported numerous education laws and continues to push for legislative solutions to improve quality and equity in basic education. Long-term policy commitment matters, and the extension reflects momentum rather than closure.

Equally promising is the newly signed Joint Circular on the Omnibus Guidelines for the Use of the Special Education Fund (SEF), which significantly expands how LGUs can use SEF allocations to directly address literacy gaps. The updated guidelines finally allow SEF to support early childhood care, nutrition programs, the ARAL academic recovery program, and literacy and numeracy interventions informed by actual assessment data. This is a critical shift: school divisions and LGUs will now be required to base their budgets on their learners’ literacy and numeracy results.

But government action alone is not enough.

The literacy crisis demands “policy support, additional resources, and community involvement.” In truth, it demands nothing less than a whole-of-community commitment. Children learn to read not only in classrooms but also at home, in barangay reading centers, in libraries, and in everyday interactions with adults who read to them, encourage them, and model a culture of literacy. Teachers need sustained training and manageable class sizes; parents need support and guidance; communities need programs that make reading a daily habit, not a school task.

If we allow 85 percent of our youngest learners to fall behind now, the country will feel the consequences for decades—in its workforce, in civic participation, and in social mobility. But this crisis, while severe, is not irreversible. The tools, the data, and the policy frameworks are beginning to take shape. What we need now is shared responsibility, urgency, and the collective belief that every Filipino child has the ability to learn to read.

Reading is the foundation of learning. If it crumbles, everything else collapses. It is time to rebuild that foundation together—starting now.