IN A REMARKABLE turnaround from national education trends, schools in Norzagaray, Bulacan have recorded significant gains in student literacy—offering a hopeful blueprint for addressing the country’s learning crisis.

Through targeted interventions, strong community support, and proactive leadership from local officials, Norzagaray has shown that the Philippines’ learning gaps—especially in early-grade reading—can be closed.

These gains were highlighted during a joint consultation led by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which praised Norzagaray for its transformative literacy initiatives.

At the heart of the municipality’s success is Project BRIGHT (BRIdging Gaps through Helpful Tools), launched in 2023 as a collaborative effort among DepEd schools, teachers, parents, and the local government.

Since its launch, Project BRIGHT has helped eradicate illiteracy among Grades 1 to 3 students—contrasting starkly with the 2022 PISA results showing that 75% of Filipino students were low-performing, and the World Bank’s 2022 report revealing that 91% of 10-year-olds couldn’t read a simple text.

DepEd’s Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) confirmed Norzagaray’s extraordinary progress. The School District Office of Bulacan posted an average literacy improvement of 23.72% for Grades 1 to 3 in the 2024–2025 school year, surpassing the national average of 20%.

Notably, 60.73% of Norzagaray students are now reading at grade level, well above the national average of 47.74%.

Teachers in the municipality adopted creative approaches to engage learners—including learning-through-play phonics games, lunchtime storytime, one-on-one tutorials, and the use of songs and online games to assist struggling readers.

Educators credited strong support from the local government, led by Mayor Merlyn Germar, who provided ₱7,000 incentives to teachers running summer reading camps and ensured a steady supply of reading materials.

DepEd sees Norzagaray’s model as a promising template for its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.

The consultations are part of EDCOM 2’s mission to fix the foundations of Philippine education—starting with early-grade literacy and child nutrition.