THE Bacolod City Council approved on first reading an ordinance creating a barangay reading corner in every barangay.
The ordinance was authored by Councilor Celia Matea Flor, chairperson of the City Council committee on women, gender, family, and child care development.
As of 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority's (PSA) Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (Flemms) revealed that the basic literacy rate among Filipinos aged 10 to 64 stands at 93.1 percent.
However, only 70.8 percent achieve functional literacy, indicating a significant 22.3 percent gap among those who can read but struggle with comprehension.
Amid these concerns, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), a congressional body tasked with conducting an independent review of the Philippine education system, continues its work in crafting long-term solutions to the country's learning crisis.
Flor said she is pushing for the establishment of reading centers in barangays to address the growing literacy gap, especially among young learners.
"We have learners from Grade 3 who can’t read, and that’s alarming,” she said.
Through the proposed ordinance, Flor aims to empower community educators, including daycare teachers, education advocates, and local organizations, to become reading champions in their own neighborhoods.
“If only we could have mini-libraries in the barangays, we could begin to create a culture of reading among our learners,” Flor said.
Flor earlier held a committee hearing with representatives from various barangays and key city department heads, and she is hopeful that funds will be allocated for reading corners and regular literacy sessions.
“These could be small yet impactful steps in addressing the comprehension gap among the city’s young learners nowadays,” Flor said. (MAP)
