Celebrating International Literacy Day: A Call to Action for the Philippines

By James Jimenez

There are lots of international observances that go largely unremarked in the Philippines. For the most part, we tend to celebrate only those that have caught the eye of media, which then brings it to the attention of the broader public, leading to some sort of recognition – mostly on social. One of these international observances came up recently, and I would bet – pesos to peanuts – that nine out of ten people reading this article didn’t know about it. In fact, one out of one person writing this article didn’t know about it either: September 8 – International Literacy Day.

In observance – albeit belatedly – let us look into the country’s state of literacy, which is in alarming decline.

The most recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey places the Philippines at the bottom among 79 participating countries in reading comprehension. While there are other metrics by which we can measure our literacy, the PISA survey is a valid enough indicator. And in practical terms, this PISA ranking means that Filipino youth experience considerable difficulty in comprehending complex sentences that present more than one thought at a time. Considering that these youth will eventually grow up to be the voters and then the leaders of the nation, these survey results are incredibly concerning.

The Literacy-Democracy Connection

According to the results of the PISA survey, most young Filipinos now are at a literacy level that merely allows them to be functional. They can read and write well enough to get by, but the more complex uses of language might be beyond their ability to utilize or even comprehend.

How can citizens fully exercise their right to vote, to debate, to advocate for policies, or to hold their leaders accountable if they struggle with understanding information? The answer is that they cannot.This makes them easier to mislead, easier to manipulate, and ultimately, easier to subjugate. Ideal patsies, in other words, for those who would subvert democratic elections for their own nefarious purposes.

It is no exaggeration therefore, to say that the declining literacy of young Filipinos is an outright democratic emergency.

Make Literacy a National Priority

The literacy crisis we are in must be considered a national priority. Instead of just harkening back to the good old days, when the Philippines led Asia in literacy, we must now move to reaffirm our commitment to achieving universal literacy for our people, starting with the youth – our future leaders.

The indications of mismanagement and corruption that have recently come to light at the Department of Education tell us where to start: housecleaning. There can be no meaningful educational reform if the government agency charged with overseeing the country’s educational system is, itself, in a sorry state.

Instead of chasing shadow projects – and shadowy goals – the government must tangibly increase its investment in all aspects of public education. Beyond just improving the physical facilities of our schools – as they have been doing recently with some fortunate public schools (but why not all, you might reasonably ask) – money must be allocated for providing extensive teacher training that will equip these educators with the skills and resources they need to foster a love of reading among students.

Literacy is a Democratic Right

For the Philippines, a nation whose democracy is under constant threat by powerbrokers intent only on securing their own positions of authority and influence, promoting literacy must be at the heart of our national agenda. It is the foundation upon which we can build a more informed, equitable, and just society; it is the key to empowering every Filipino to participate fully in our democratic processes, to challenge injustice, and to shape the future of our nation; and it is ultimately the only thing keeping out the barbarians at the gate of our democratic way of life.

As we look back on International Literacy Day, let us remember that literacy is not just about reading and writing—it is about empowering citizens to be active participants in the political arena, thereby strengthening our democracy in the process; It is about ensuring that every Filipino, regardless of their socio-economic background, has the opportunity to read, to learn, to think critically, and to contribute meaningfully to the future of our country. In this, we are reminded that the fight for literacy is, in essence, a fight for democracy itself.