A nationwide campaign that mobilizes local government units (LGUs) to lead local reading initiatives is expected to help improve foundational literacy rates and ease the strain on overstretched public school teachers, education officials said Tuesday.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) co-chair Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said local governments play a pivotal role in supporting struggling readers through barangay reading hubs, mobile libraries, volunteer tutors and community-based remediation programs.
“If we truly want to reach children who struggle with reading, there needs to be coordination from the barangay to the city level,” Romulo said in a news release. “This can help ease the burden on teachers and schools, who cannot do this alone.”
EDCOM 2 launched its “Bayang Bumabasa: Mayors for Literacy” campaign in Quezon City, with Mayor Joy Belmonte leading the call for local governments to make reading a priority in communities.
Through a social media video challenge, the campaign invites newly elected and reelected mayors to spotlight their city or municipality’s reading programs and share best practices to address the country’s learning crisis.
The initiative comes amid concerning data from the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment, which showed that 52.26 percent of Grades 1 to 3 learners — or nearly 2.9 million students — are not reading at grade level.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara welcomed the campaign, saying the involvement of local leaders is critical to expanding the reach and impact of the Department of Education’s remedial programs.
“Improving education is a directive of the President and LGUs are in the best position to localize and scale what works. When city and municipal governments step in, we not only improve reading outcomes, we also build community ownership of the solution,” Angara said.
Belmonte is the first to accept the challenge and is set to release a video highlighting Quezon City’s literacy programs next week.
EDCOM 2 is encouraging other mayors to follow suit and post videos to raise awareness and inspire action. (PNA)
