SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday joined the nationwide celebration of Araw ng Pagbasa, underscoring the need to ensure that every Filipino learner develops strong reading skills.

“Ako ay nakikiisa sa ating mga kababayan sa pagdiriwang ng Araw ng Pagbasa,” Gatchalian said, highlighting the importance of literacy in strengthening the country’s education system.

“Patuloy din akong nakikiisa sa ating mga pagsisikap na tiyaking ang bawat mag-aaral ay matututong bumasa at umunawa,” he added.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, noted key budget initiatives aimed at addressing learning gaps and improving students’ reading proficiency.

He said he pushed for an additional ₱3.3 billion funding for the ARAL Program, the Department of Education’s flagship learning recovery initiative.

The senator added that the Senate also sought an additional ₱18.08 billion to raise the textbook budget to ₱29 billion, a move meant to ensure that learners will no longer suffer from shortages of quality learning materials.