Iloilo’s Educational Future Needs Private Sector Leadership

By Ken Lerona

In recent weeks, the release of national data on functional illiteracy shook the country’s consciousness: nearly 30% of Filipinos aged 10–64, including millions of high school graduates, cannot adequately comprehend simple texts or perform basic calculations. The shockwaves of this revelation reach far beyond the walls of classrooms. They ripple across households, workplaces, communities, and ultimately, the engines of local and national economies.

For a province like Iloilo, known for its vibrant culture, entrepreneurial spirit, and rising investment profile, this is no abstract problem. It is a silent fault line beneath our collective aspirations.

If we in the business sector hope to sustain Iloilo’s momentum as a hub of trade, services, agri-business, and tourism, we must confront this crisis not as passive observers or episodic donors, but as co-stewards of long-term solutions.

Let me be blunt: the quality of students we nurture today will shape the quality of workers, professionals, and entrepreneurs who will fuel Iloilo’s economy tomorrow. A weak educational foundation will inevitably flow into a weak workforce. When functional illiteracy becomes widespread, the cost to business is not just measured in remedial training expenses or productivity losses—it is paid in missed opportunities, stagnant innovation, and social fragmentation.

Why Businesses Should Care

Some may ask: isn’t education the government’s job?

It is, yes—but only partially.

No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can single-handedly fix an educational system entangled with poverty, inequality, malnutrition, and social exclusion. Education is a public good that demands public-private cooperation.

Businesses, in particular, have both a vested interest and a moral responsibility in this matter. Why?

Because functional literacy is the bedrock of employability. It determines whether a future employee can read a safety manual, understand an employment contract, calculate a sales discount, interpret customer feedback, or learn new skills.

Because low literacy imposes hidden costs: higher turnover, weaker problem-solving, lower productivity, more workplace accidents, and reduced capacity to adapt to technological change.

Because a region’s human capital is its competitive advantage—and Iloilo’s aspirations to be a center of investment, tourism, innovation, and trade hinge on the preparedness of its people.

Because poverty—the root of much educational failure—cannot be solved by schools alone. It requires economic opportunity, fair wages, and social investments that allow families to thrive.

Moving Beyond Donations to Systemic Change

Let’s be clear: classroom donations, scholarship programs, and annual CSR activities are meaningful and appreciated. They help bridge gaps in facilities, resources, and access.

But the scale and depth of the functional illiteracy crisis demand more than charity. We need a systemic approach. We need the business community to see itself as a permanent partner in Iloilo’s educational and social ecosystem.

What can this look like?

1. Address parental livelihoods and economic stability.
   Functional illiteracy is intimately tied to poverty. When parents are trapped in insecure, low-wage work, they have neither the time nor the resources to support their children’s learning. Businesses can be part of the solution by creating decent jobs, ensuring fair wages, and promoting work arrangements that allow for work-life balance. This is not mere philanthropy—it is enlightened self-interest. A parent who is fairly paid and has time to engage with their children creates a home environment where education is valued and supported.
2. Invest in lifelong learning and workforce upskilling.
   Do not wait for schools to produce “ready-made” workers. Companies can offer training, mentorship, and upskilling programs for their employees, helping adults improve literacy, numeracy, digital skills, and financial literacy. These interventions ripple outward: workers become better parents, role models, and contributors to community learning.
3. Engage with local school boards and LGUs.
   The private sector should take an active seat at the table of local education governance. This includes participating in Local School Boards, partnering with barangays to support early childhood programs, and helping address non-academic barriers to learning—especially nutrition, healthcare, and transportation. Research consistently shows that a child cannot learn on an empty stomach or in poor health. Local businesses can fund school feeding programs, health check-ups, or transportation subsidies, particularly in far-flung barangays where dropout rates are high.
4. Support mothers and women in the workforce.
   Many mothers in Iloilo’s communities balance wage work with caregiving responsibilities. Businesses can offer flexible work arrangements, parental leave, and childcare support to ensure that mothers have the time and capacity to engage in their children’s education. When mothers thrive, children learn better.
5. Champion literacy as a cultural value.
   As cultural influencers, businesses can integrate literacy into their branding, marketing, and community outreach. For example, companies can sponsor community reading corners, storytelling events, or book donations in Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Filipino, and English. These initiatives not only promote literacy but also strengthen local identity and pride.

A Call to Iloilo’s Business Leaders

Iloilo has long been admired for its strong sense of community, resilience, and bayanihan spirit. But now we are called to a new form of bayanihan: an economy anchored in inclusive human development.

To my fellow business leaders: this is your moment of leadership. Step beyond transactional giving. Embrace transformational engagement.

Imagine an Iloilo where every child finishes school functionally literate, where every worker can adapt to a changing economy, where every family has the means and time to invest in their children’s learning. That is not just an educational vision—it is a blueprint for sustained economic growth, social cohesion, and human dignity.

Let us stop thinking of literacy as “someone else’s problem.” It is our problem. And it is one that cannot wait.

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Ken Lerona is a marketing and branding leader with over 20 years of experience. He conducts talks and workshops for private and government organizations and consults on innovation and reputational risk management. Connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kenlerona.