HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro has raised the alarm over a recent report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that nearly 19 million Filipinos who have completed high school are considered “functionally illiterate.”

According to the PSA’s 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey, only 79% of senior high school graduates are functionally literate—meaning they can read, write, and perform basic arithmetic.

The remaining 21%, or approximately one in every five graduates, lack these essential skills despite years of formal education.

“This is no longer just a crisis—it is a national emergency,” said Castro, a former public school teacher.

“It proves the alarming decline in the quality of education, which the government continues to neglect,” she added.

Castro pointed out the contradiction between the goals of the K to 12 program and the actual literacy outcomes.

“How can our graduates compete in a knowledge-based economy if they lack the most basic skills needed to secure a job or engage with society?” she asked.

The lawmaker called for urgent and decisive action to address what she described as a systemic failure in the education system.

Among her proposals is the swift passage of House Bill 1783, which seeks to increase the education budget to at least 6% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, in line with international standards.

“Without bold reforms and adequate investment, the future of millions of young Filipinos—and of our nation—is at serious risk,” Castro warned.