About 87% of Grade 11 students in the Philippines struggle with reading comprehension, a finding described as “alarming” by government officials, raising concerns over the country’s future workforce and overall literacy.
Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, chairperson of the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), cited the data during a radio interview on Friday, saying it was based on assessments conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) as part of the pilot implementation of the enhanced senior high school curriculum.
“Almost 12% lang ang independent readers. Ibig sabihin po noon, mga 12% lang ang kaya magbasa nang walang guidance o paggabay ng isang guro,” Romulo said on DZRH’s ‘Damdaming Bayan’.
Romulo warned that weak reading comprehension at the senior high school level could have long-term national implications, as students transition to higher education and eventually join the workforce.
“So alam natin senior high school na ’yan; ang susunod na ’yan, kolehiyo na. Eh, diba pagdating ng kolehiyo, more or less talagang kailangan independent readers,” he said.
“Kung yung pinaka-basic [pagbabasa] yung kulang, ay medyo kawawa rin yung bata. At kawawa rin yung ating bansa dahil sila yung mamumuno ng ating bansa sa hinaharap," he added.
The lawmaker urged DepEd to take decisive action, including possibly streamlining the curriculum to prioritize foundational skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic.
He pointed to an overloaded curriculum and frequent changes in educational programs as contributing factors to the problem.
“Dapat ang DepEd mag-desisyon na paano mareresolbahan ito at hindi ito mareresolbahan ng napakaraming subjects, napakaraming competencies,” Romulo said.
He added that international and national assessments, including previous global student evaluations, have consistently shown the Philippines lagging behind in key learning areas.
Romulo also noted that some industries have expressed reluctance to hire senior high school graduates, preferring applicants with at least some college education due to concerns over literacy and comprehension skills.
Beyond curriculum issues, he said the problem is compounded by challenges faced by teachers, including heavy workloads, class disruptions due to holidays and natural disasters, and the difficulty of covering numerous required competencies.
While technology can support learning, Romulo emphasized that foundational literacy remains critical.
“Ang bata mismo, naturally po curious yan. Mag-re-research na rin. Alam na rin niya kung ano yung tama at mali. Pero siyempre po kung walang reading comprehension, nandiyan ang teknolohiya, Ang pinakamadali, games,” he said.
He suggested a temporary shift in focus toward core subjects, particularly reading comprehension, across all grade levels.
“Ang sinasabi lang natin, pansamantala, itong mga kasalukuyang nag-aaral sa ating basic education ay masigurado natin ma-equip ng DepEd na yung pinaka-basics. Reading, writing, arithmetic, science yan lang po, at siyempre GMRC.”
