Baguio: The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has emerged as the leader in functional literacy across the Philippines, with Benguet and Apayao securing the top positions for basic literacy rates among provinces, and Baguio City ranking second among highly urbanized cities, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Apayao recorded a basic literacy rate of 95.2 percent, closely followed by Benguet at 94.9 percent, marking them as the highest-ranking provinces in the nation. This information was shared by PSA-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) chief statistical specialist Aldrin Bahit during the 2024 regional data dissemination forum on Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey. The PSA's data collection took place in October of the previous year.
The report highlights that the national literacy rate stands at 90 percent, with the Cordillera region surpassing this with a literacy rate of 92.7 percent, indicating that 9 out of 10 individuals in the region are literate. Bahit elaborated that basic literacy encompasses reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, while functional literacy also includes comprehension abilities.
In terms of functional literacy within CAR, Apayao and Benguet achieved second and third places with 86.8 percent and 87.9 percent, respectively, following Baguio City's leading 89.8 percent. Baguio City also ranked just behind San Juan City in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the category of highly urbanized cities. Additionally, Benguet and Apayao were placed fifth and eighth, respectively, on a national scale.
The NCR and Calabarzon regions follow CAR in functional literacy nationwide. Department of Education (DepEd) - CAR Assistant Director Dr. Ronald Castillo emphasized that the region's success is partly due to its ability to tailor programs to local needs, in addition to implementing national directives.
Dr. Castillo attributed the region's high functional literacy to several factors, including a rigorous teacher hiring process and robust support from local government units (LGUs). He noted that some LGUs dedicate their entire special education fund to educational initiatives and allocate resources for teacher training and capacity-building. These LGUs even hire additional teachers, who are paid by the LGUs but deployed to DepEd, significantly boosting local literacy rates.
Dr. Castillo also remarked on the cultural emphasis placed on education by the Cordillera communities, viewing it as a crucial avenue for enhancing their quality of life.
