Cagayan de Oro: The Northern Mindanao Region has achieved the highest basic literacy rate across Mindanao, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday. The region's notable achievement was highlighted during a presentation of the functional literacy and mass media survey.

According to Philippines News Agency, PSA-10 Director Janith Aves announced that the region recorded a functional literacy rate of 90.8 percent for the year 2024. "This means that nine out of every 10 individuals aged over five years old in Northern Mindanao possess the fundamental abilities to read, write, and compute," Aves elaborated. On a national scale, Northern Mindanao ranks sixth in terms of functional literacy.

Basic literacy rates within Northern Mindanao varied across its provinces and highly urbanized cities. Cagayan de Oro City led with a remarkable basic literacy rate of 96.1 percent, exceeding the regional average by 5.3 percentage points. Following closely was the City of Iligan with a basic literacy rate of 93.4 percent, and Misamis Occidental with 91.6 percent. Conversely, Camiguin (90.7 percent), Bukidnon (90.5 percent), and Lanao del Norte (83.3 percent) reported rates below the regional average.

Dr. John Franklin Dresser, the Department of Education-10 education program supervisor, pointed out that Lanao del Norte has the highest number of out-of-school youth and adults in the region, totaling 13,692. Of these, approximately 11,096 enrolled in the Alternative Learning System, yet only 1,219 graduated or took their required examinations.