PASAY City and San Juan City have emerged as the top-performing cities in terms of literacy in the Philippines for 2024, according to the latest Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Pasay City recorded the highest basic literacy rate among highly urbanized cities, with 96.2% of its residents aged five and above able to read, write, and perform basic mathematical operations. This means that approximately 96 out of every 100 individuals in Pasay meet the standard for basic literacy.

Close behind Pasay were:

Cagayan de Oro City – 96.1%

San Juan City – 95.5%

Pasig City – 95.5%

Mandaue City – 95.2%

Meanwhile, San Juan City led in functional literacy, which reflects a higher level of comprehension and the ability to apply reading, writing, and arithmetic skills in daily life. The city posted a 94.5% functional literacy rate, indicating that 95 out of 100 residents aged 10 to 64 are functionally literate.

San Juan was followed by:

Baguio City – 89.8%

Pasig City – 89.1%

Pateros – 88.1%

Makati City – 87.3%

In terms of provinces, Apayao topped the list for basic literacy with a rate of 95.2%, while Benguet led in functional literacy with 87.9% of its population demonstrating higher-level literacy skills.

The top provinces for basic literacy were:

Romblon – 94.6%

Nueva Ecija – 94.2%

Bohol – 94.2%

Rizal – 94.2%

For functional literacy, these provinces followed Benguet:

Rizal – 82.1%

Romblon – 81.9%

Batangas – 81.3%

Siquijor – 80.0%

According to the PSA, for every 100 individuals aged five and above in Apayao, approximately 95 can read, write, and compute. In Benguet, about 88 out of every 100 residents aged 10 to 64 demonstrate the ability to read, write, compute, and comprehend complex information.

At the other end of the spectrum, the five provinces with the highest illiteracy rates were:

Tawi-Tawi – 30.5%

Davao Occidental – 21.0%

Basilan – 19.8%

Northern Samar – 19.5%

Sarangani – 15.7%

About the Survey

The 2024 FLEMMS is the seventh edition of the national literacy survey series, which began in 1989. It is conducted every five years and gathers data on literacy, educational attainment, and access to mass media. The 2024 round was held from September to October 2024 and covered Filipino individuals aged five and older for basic literacy, and 10 to 64 years old for functional literacy.