A RECENT survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority in Northern Mindanao (PSA) shows the region has the lowest number of out-of-school-youths among the five regions in Mindanao.
According to the Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) in 2013, only 9.8 percent of the children and youth in Northern Mindanao dropped out of school.
Northern Mindanao obtained the lowest rate while the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (Armm) had the highest rate of 14.4 percent followed by SOCCKSARGEN with 12.3 percent, Davao region with 12.2 percent, and Zamboanga Peninsula and Caraga region both obtained 11.3 percent.
The survey also reveals marriage (36.2 percent), insufficient family income (17 percent),and housekeeping (13.7 percent) are among the top three reasons why females in this study decided to drop out of school.
While the males' top three reasons include, lack of personal interest (33.1 percent), insufficient family income (22.7 percent), and illness or disablity (12.2 percent).
The FLEMM 2013 survey is the fifth nationwide survey conducted to gather data such as basic literacy, functional literacy, and exposure to mass media
Jeremias Luis, Statistician IV of PSA-Central Office said that the survey is conducted after every five years.
He said this year, about 26,000 households were included with 1,600 barangays on the list.
"In the next survey, we will try to conduct it on the provincial level para mas maigi at mas narrowed down ang coverage to measure the literacy," Luis said.
Meanwhile, Ana Belen Muring, Department of Education in Northern Mindanao (DepEd) Planning Officer III, enumerated its agency's efforts in addressing the problem of dropouts.
Muring said the region has the lowest number of out-of-school-youth citing that DepEd Northern Mindanao is one of the awardees in the search for national functional literacy.
She said the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) which both provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction.
An open high school she said, was also a means for a wider scope of learning specifically for the underprivileged students who work five times a week.
"We conduct classes on Saturdays and Sundays to cater those students na kinahanglan mag-trabaho sa weekdays," Muring said,
Muring added that they are still innovating for more programs intended to eradicate the prevailing out-of-school-youth problem in the region and in the country.