More than two million young learners across the country are unable to read at the level expected of them, according to new data released by the Second Congressional Commission on Education.
EDCOM 2 disclosed Wednesday that results from the Department of Education’s Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment at the start of School Year 2025-2026 placed the number of struggling readers from Grades 1 to 3 at 2,243,059 — equivalent to 41.47 percent of learners nationwide.
The burden falls hardest on communities in Mindanao and the Bangsamoro region. Tawi-Tawi recorded the highest share at 75.6 percent, followed by Maguindanao del Norte at 65.38 percent and Special Geographic Area North Cotabato at 64.49 percent. Zamboanga City, Sarangani, Sulu, Maguindanao del Sur, Lamitan City, Basilan, and Davao Occidental rounded out the ten areas with the most struggling readers, with rates ranging from 57.17 to 60.72 percent.
By contrast, Sto. Tomas City posted the country’s lowest rate at 23.42 percent. Batanes, Bohol, Mt. Province, Valenzuela City, Cavite City, Tuguegarao City, Malolos City, Leyte, and Carmona City also ranked among areas with comparatively fewer struggling readers, with figures between 24.38 and 31.19 percent.
The commission pointed to gaps in early childhood infrastructure as a factor compounding the reading crisis. At least 4,599 barangays across the country have no child development centers, EDCOM 2 noted, and it called for expanding early childhood education through both center-based and alternative delivery modes.
Classroom backlog and school congestion were also flagged by EDCOM 2 as conditions that need to be addressed alongside the literacy problem.
