SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is calling on local government units to actively collaborate with the Department of Education in addressing the country’s growing literacy crisis, following alarming statistics on functional illiteracy among Filipinos.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, stressed that while many Filipinos know how to read, write, and compute, a significant number struggle with reading comprehension— making them functionally illiterate.

“There is a clear mandate for local governments to support DepEd and other national agencies,” Gatchalian said, as he pushed for the creation of Literacy Coordinating Councils in every locality.

These councils would craft targeted interventions for both “no read, no write” individuals and those who can read and write but lack understanding of basic texts.

The senator cited the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Media Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which revealed that 24.8 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 are functionally illiterate— meaning they are unable to understand what they read.

Another 5.8 million are considered basic illiterates who cannot read or write at all.

Disturbingly, Gatchalian noted that 18.9 million of the functionally illiterate population are junior and senior high school graduates, indicating a major issue with the quality of education, particularly in ensuring comprehension skills.

“This is a literacy crisis that needs a collective response,” Gatchalian said.

“Without proper education and literacy, it becomes nearly impossible for individuals to secure decent jobs and improve their lives,” he added.

The PSA survey also revealed stark regional disparities. Provinces with the highest functional illiteracy rates include Tawi-Tawi and Davao Occidental, which also rank among the poorest in the country. In contrast, more developed provinces such as Cavite and Bataan posted lower rates of illiteracy and poverty.

Gatchalian emphasized that improving literacy is not only about education— it’s also a critical pathway to reducing poverty and promoting inclusive development.