Iloilo taps PEAC to boost reading outcomes

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo Provincial Government is seeking the expertise of the Private Education Assistance Committee, or PEAC, to strengthen literacy initiatives and improve reading outcomes among Ilonggo learners.

Provincial officials met with PEAC Executive Director Dr. Rhodora Angela F. Ferrer and her team Thursday, Aug. 6, to discuss possible areas of collaboration under the province’s flagship BES BASA: POC Localized Reading Program.

The discussions focused on teacher capacity building, instructional leadership for school heads, quality assurance, and private-sector participation in literacy programs.

The province aims to draw on PEAC’s experience in teacher training and instructional improvement to strengthen the implementation of BES BASA.

BES BASA, short for Bulig Eskwela: Basa, is the provincial government’s localized reading program under Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya, or BES Probins, education agenda.

The program adapts the Proof of Concept, or POC, model on the devolution of basic education services, developed by the Synergeia Foundation with the Department of Education.

Its components include training teachers to teach reading, distributing structured instructional materials and worksheets, and conducting pre- and post-assessments for learners in Grades 1 to 3.

Provincial data presented in 2025 showed Grade 3 reading proficiency in pilot areas rising from 30% to 90% within a year of implementation.

The provincial government has committed PHP 600 million to education under the same reform framework.

Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, showed that several Iloilo local government units, or LGUs, continue to face literacy challenges.

The commission identified 15 LGUs in the province with both high numbers of struggling readers and high stunting rates, including Carles, Passi City, San Dionisio, Dumangas, Santa Barbara, and Lemery.

Separate EDCOM 2 data showed Iloilo City had the highest number of struggling readers at 2,964, followed by Passi City with 525, Carles with 386, Sara with 334, and San Dionisio with 333.

The local figures track a national pattern. A World Bank learning poverty assessment cited by the provincial government found that nine in 10 Filipino children cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10.

Maria Alfreda Fajardo, chief of the Provincial Education Management Office, said the meeting brought public and private education leaders to the same table.

“The engagement marked a rare and significant opportunity for leaders from both the public and private education sectors to come together with a shared commitment to address the pressing challenge of poor literacy outcomes in the province,” Fajardo said.

PEAC has served as trustee of the Fund for Assistance to Private Education, or FAPE, since its creation in 1968 to support the private education sector in the Philippines.

The PEAC National Secretariat manages and develops assistance programs for private education, including education service contracting, teacher salary subsidies, voucher programs, in-service training, and research initiatives.

The organization is accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission as a continuing professional development provider.

Those present during the meeting included Provincial Administrator Dr. Raul Banias, Board Member Jason Gonzales, Department of Education Regional Director Cristito Eco, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ruby Therese Almencion, Curriculum Implementation Division Chief Dr. Nestor Pingil, Officer-in-Charge for Private Schools Dr. Dahlia Tamayo, representatives of the Schools Division Office of Iloilo, and members of the EDCORE Team.

Fajardo said the provincial government will continue building partnerships with national and private education stakeholders.

She stressed that improving literacy requires a whole-of-community approach.