24 million Pinoys illiterate, 5.1 million children unserved – EDCOM 2Students walk across the gutter-deep flood along the corner of Taft and UN Avenues in Manila following a heavy downpour brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon on Monday, July 21, 2025. MANILA, Philippines — The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) yesterday released its top 10 findings for 2025, highlighting widespread functional illiteracy affecting 24 million Filipinos and the continued exclusion of millions of children with disabilities from basic services. The survey showed that more than 24 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 are functionally illiterate, while 5.8 million are basically illiterate. Data showed that only 391,089 learners with disabilities were enrolled in public schools, representing just eight percent of the estimated 5.1 million children with disabilities nationwide. The commission also found that funding confusion has prevented national programs from reaching the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Source: Philippine Star December 31, 2025 16:36 UTC