THE PHILIPPINES is grappling with a comprehension crisis, according to newly released government data showing that over 1 in 5 Filipinos aged 10 to 64 struggle to understand what they read—even though they know how to read, write, and compute.

This stark reality was revealed in the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) released Thursday, July 31, by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported that while 93.1% of Filipinos in the 10–64 age group are basically literate, only 70.8% are considered functionally literate—meaning they can also comprehend what they read.

“For every nine individuals aged 10 to 64 who can read, write, and compute, two have difficulty with comprehension,” Mapa said during a presentation at SEAMEO INNOTECH in Quezon City.

The 22.3-point gap reveals a sobering truth behind the high literacy rate—what education experts are now calling a “hidden learning crisis.”