Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda has vowed to address the ongoing education crisis by calling for a multi-pronged approach in dealing with the students lack of foundational skills.

This, as Legarda, who recently took over as 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.

Legarda lamented that a significant umber of students are falling behind in foundational skills, citing findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

“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,” she said.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Legarda said it is important for her to see firsthand the challenges to ensure that the necessary systems are properly implemented. 

“There is no need to waste huge expenses to educate children. By the age of ten, the importance of reading and writing should be clear to them. If they are still lagging behind, it is our duty to help them catch up,” Legarda added.

To address the crisis, Legarda suggested 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 also called for a return to a culture of reading, advocating support for the local publishing industry. 

“Gusto kong bumalik tayo sa pagbabasa ng aklat (I want us to return to the reading of books). 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 further emphasized that education has a role in fostering national identity and cultural awareness, wondering about whether students understand the significance of Philippine history and heritage.

“By Grade 5, they should be able to explain Rizal's achievements and his aspirations. History and culture are important, they should be alive in our schools,” she said.

To help achieve this, she proposed strengthening cultural mapping programs in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), with teachers serving as cultural mappers in their own communities.

She also stressed that legislated observances need not result in class cancellations, saying that these be observed during class hours instead, so that students can learn about history, culture, and civic values while remaining in school.

“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.