Iloilo: The Schools Division of Iloilo will implement a community literacy project in support of the vision of the national government to improve the performance of learners.
According to Philippines News Agency, Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ernesto Servillon Jr. announced that the 'Kasimaryo Ko, Tudlo-an Ko' (My Neighbor, I will Mentor) initiative will be rolled out in partnership with barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials. This announcement followed a convergence meeting with stakeholders on June 26.
The project was conceptualized to address the urgent need for literacy improvements, aligning with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara to enhance learner performance in literacy and numeracy. It targets out-of-school youth and adults aged 19-65 through a three-pronged approach: peer-to-peer learning systems, community-based reading programs, and specialized adult education methodologies.
Dr. Servillon emphasized that the initiative will be led by school heads and teachers to ensure simultaneous efforts, which are necessary to create significant impacts on Iloilo's provincial literacy situation.
Barangay officials will be responsible for identifying and gathering residents who require literacy classes, while SK members can volunteer and receive training to become force multipliers in their barangays. School heads will assign teachers to conduct sessions during weekends, initially twice a month, with sessions expected to commence in August or September and continue until functional literacy is achieved across the province.
Dr. Servillon noted that most teachers are already trained in reading remediation activities, having conducted school reading activities during the previous summer. Preparations for the project are currently underway at the division office. Additionally, the Association of Barangay Captains has initiated the passage of an ordinance to include the community literacy project in their annual investment plan.
The literacy project is a response to the latest 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), which revealed that 88.6% of the population aged five and above are basically literate, while 68.4% of those aged 10 to 64 are functionally literate. Despite these statistics, Dr. Servillon mentioned that the DepEd's reading inventory using validated instruments shows a learner performance rate of approximately 93%.
