SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is backing the Department of Education’s policy to implement ‘Catch-Up Fridays’, which seek to improve learners’ reading proficiency.

Gatchalian underscored the necessity of implementing the program considering that a significant number of the country’s learners struggle with reading.

Results of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment showed that 76% of the country’s 15-year-olds have not achieved the minimum proficiency in Reading.

For the 2022 round of PISA, the Philippine average in Reading is still below the average of countries under the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries.

The OECD also indicates that, at the minimum, the country’s 15-year-old learners can understand the literal meaning of sentences or short passages.

“Sinusuportahan natin ang pagpapatupad ng ‘Catch-Up Fridays’ dahil ito ay mag-aambag sa pagpapalakas ng kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral na bumasa. Nakita natin sa datos na marami sa ating mga mag-aaral ang nangangailangan ng tulong pagdating sa pagbabasa, kaya naman mahalagang suportahan natin ang mga programang tutugon sa pangangailangan nila,” said Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

The DepEd kicked off ‘Catch-Up Fridays’ last January 12.

The program is being implemented in all public elementary and high schools nationwide, as well as in community learning centers nationwide.

Under DepEd Memorandum No. 001 s. 2024, all Fridays of January shall be dedicated to the Drop Everything and Read activity.

According to the DepEd memo, ‘Catch-Up Fridays’ is integral in the National Reading and Mathematics Programs, both of which are critical subprograms of the National Learning Recovery Program.

Gatchalian has also been pushing for measures that will strengthen learners’ reading skills.

One of these is the ARAL Program Act or Senate Bill No. 1604, which seeks to institute a national learning recovery program to mitigate the effects of the Covid19 pandemic.

He also filed the National Reading Month Act or Senate Bill No. 475, which aims to institutionalize the celebration of the National Reading Month every November to promote a culture of reading.