"Functionally illiterate" people in the country reaches 24.8 million according to EDCOM 2

• Around 24.8 million Filipinos are now considered functionally illiterate, according to EDCOM 2
• The number has doubled from 14.5 million in 1993 to 24.8 million in 2024
• DepEd’s focus on too many interagency tasks and teachers’ non-teaching work are seen as key factors
• EDCOM 2 urged CHED to tighten quality control on graduate programs to stop the “diploma-for-promotion” trend

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reported that 24.8 million Filipinos are now considered functionally illiterate.

This group includes people who can read and write but fail to fully understand what they read.

The number has doubled from 14.5 million in 1993 to 24.8 million in 2024, according to EDCOM 2. The group expressed concern that one reason behind the issue is the Department of Education’s involvement in at least 261 interagency bodies.

This, they said, has distracted DepEd from its main goal of providing quality basic education.

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Education Secretary Sonny Angara also pointed out that teachers’ workload is affected by too much non-teaching work.

Many teachers, he said, spend time on paperwork and other administrative duties instead of focusing on classroom instruction. To fix this, DepEd plans to hire more administrative staff to help ease teachers’ workload.

Aside from the functionally illiterate population, EDCOM 2 also noted that over six million Filipinos are considered basically illiterate — those who cannot read, write, or understand text.

In a related study titled Investigating the State of Graduate Education in the Philippines, EDCOM 2 found that a “diploma-for-promotion” culture exists in the education sector. It encourages teachers and employees to pursue degrees mainly for job promotion rather than genuine learning.

As a solution, the commission called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to enforce stricter quality control on graduate programs to stop diploma mills and promote real professional growth.

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News, photos, or videos that arouse the interest of netizens would often go viral on social media, due to the attention netizens give them. These viral posts appeal to the emotions of netizens, and in rare cases, this could also happen to ordinary people, making them very relatable.

In a previous report by KAMI, a family of three was mercilessly shot and killed inside their store in Barangay Mallorca, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija. Caught by CCTV, three men entered their store, closed the roll-up door, and shot the entire family to death. Before fleeing, one of the suspects even grabbed a bag and a mobile phone from the victim. In a report by Gary De Leon of TV 5's 'Frontline Pilipinas,' the family started getting threats after lending P1-M to one of the residents of their barangay; allegedly using the money for business.

In another viral local report, a 51-year-old public school teacher in Las Piñas City was stabbed multiple times by her own husband. According to the report of EJ Gomez in 'Unang Balita,' the 38-year-old suspect committed the crime inside the school's faculty room. Police authorities said the school has a security guard, but, being a familiar face in the school, the suspect managed to easily get in and out of the school. The suspect said he was there to talk to his wife and settle their misunderstanding, but unfortunately, it led to a big arguement.

Source: KAMI.com.gh