LEARNERS LAG: Thousands in Iloilo City, 5th district still struggle to read, EDCOM 2 warns

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Thousands of learners in Iloilo continue to struggle with reading, with Iloilo City and several local government units (LGUs) in the province’s 5th District posting some of the highest numbers and percentages of struggling readers, according to data the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) presented at the Education Summit 2026 in Iloilo City.

The report showed Iloilo City recorded the highest number of struggling readers in the province, with 2,964 learners, or 17.64% of those assessed.

Several 5th District LGUs dominated the list of localities with the highest struggling-reader rates.

San Dionisio ranked second with 333 struggling readers, or 16.48% of assessed learners, followed by San Rafael with 131 (14.84%), Lemery with 202 (13.54%), Estancia with 319 (12.94%), and Sara with 334 (12.63%).

Also among Iloilo’s top 20 were Balasan, which ranked eighth with 214 struggling readers (11.95%); Batad, ninth with 122 (11.70%); Barotac Viejo, 10th with 270 (11.59%); Carles, 12th with 386 (10.04%); and Ajuy, 16th with 239 (9.30%).

The EDCOM 2 data also highlighted a broader concern linking literacy outcomes with child nutrition.

Fifteen LGUs in Iloilo were identified as “dual burden” areas because they have both high numbers of struggling readers and high rates of child stunting.

These LGUs include Carles, Passi City, San Dionisio, Dumangas, Lemery, Santa Barbara, Sara, Estancia, and Janiuay, among others.

The report recommended prioritizing these LGUs for integrated literacy and nutrition interventions.

EDCOM 2 has previously warned that the Philippines continues to face a persistent child-stunting crisis that undermines long-term human capital development, with one in four Filipino children experiencing stunted growth.

In Western Visayas, the 2023 National Nutrition Survey recorded a stunting prevalence of 27.30%, meaning about 27 of every 100 children younger than 5 were stunted.

During the two-day Education Summit 2026, held July 24-25 in Iloilo City, EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark R. Yee urged educators to make literacy the country’s top education priority and to use localized data when designing interventions.

He encouraged educators, school leaders, and policymakers to move beyond national averages and rely instead on disaggregated local data to identify communities where literacy, nutrition, and foundational learning interventions are most urgently needed.

Yee also pointed to the country’s weak foundation in early childhood education, saying many learning difficulties seen in higher grade levels stem from a child’s earliest years.

Malnutrition, inadequate early childhood interventions, and limited learning opportunities impair cognitive development even before children enter formal schooling, according to Yee.

Yee stressed that stunting should be treated not only as a health issue but also as an education concern, because its effects on brain development are largely irreversible and carry lasting consequences for learning outcomes.

He emphasized that education reforms must extend beyond political administrations, stay focused on foundational learning, and be guided by evidence rather than short-term programs.

Describing the country’s learning crisis as decades in the making, Yee warned against restarting reforms whenever national leadership changes.

He said years of fragmented implementation, inconsistent policies, and weak coordination among education agencies have contributed to persistently poor learning outcomes.

Yee said one of EDCOM 2’s key recommendations is to sustain education reforms for at least the next decade to ensure continuity in learning from kindergarten through senior high school.

Created through Republic Act No. 11899, EDCOM 2 is a congressional commission tasked with reviewing the performance of the Philippine education sector and recommending long-term reforms to improve learning outcomes nationwide.

The Iloilo figures track a national reading emergency. The World Bank estimates that 91% of Filipino children aged 10 cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text – a condition it calls “learning poverty” – a figure it reaffirmed in April 2026. In the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment, the country ranked 76th of 81 in reading.