LESSON 1.2

LITERACY IN THE PHILIPPINES

Study the literacy rate report of our country in the years

1994 and 2000.

LITERACY RATE in 1994

In 1994 about 85 % of all the inhabitants in the age of 10-64 years were able to read and write.

In the urban areas this percentage was the highest: 89%.

In the rural areas almost 82 percent of the persons in the age of 10-64 could write and read simple texts in any language or dialect.

LITERACY RATE in 2000

Literacy was defined by the Census 2000 to be a person 10 years or older, having the capability to read and write.

The 2000 findings show that Philippines’ literacy rate was pegged at 92.28%, males at 92.10% and females at 92.47%.

The National Capital Region had the highest literacy rate, which pegged at 98.14%.

Other regions having a literacy rate higher than the national average were Ilocos Region, 92.23%, Central Luzon, 94.80%, Southern Tagalog Region, 94.01%, Bicol Region, 92.69%, and Western Visayas, 93.02%.

Two-thirds of the estimated 34, 000, 000 people who are 6 to 24 years old were attending school from June 2003 to March/April 2004.

With the aforementioned information, what generalization can you make?

How do you interpret the literacy results? Are you happy about the reports? Do you see evidences of literacy?

Is there a need to attend to literacy problems in the Philippines?

WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW?What is the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC)?

It is a national policy-making, advisory and coordinating body that provides overall policy and program direction to the country’s efforts to universalize literacy, that is, to make every Filipino literate.

It is an interagency body administratively attached to the Department of Education.

Its members are the:

Department of Education (DepEd) Department of the Interior and Local Government

(DILG) Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Philippine Normal University (PNU) National Economic and Development Authority

(NEDA) House of Representatives Philippine Senate Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) involved in

literacy

LCC

To help act as the overall advisory and coordinating body providing directions for all literacy endeavors in the country.

To formulate measures on the establishment and maintenance of national data bank to support literacy efforts.

To recommend ways and means of raising funds to support the literacy programs, projects and activities.

To recommend strategies on the mass movement for the total eradication of illiteracy in the country.

To assist in identifying successful literacy programs and in boosting research and development work in literacy.

To perform such other functions as may be necessary in the promotion of literacy in the country.

How does LCC define Functional Literacy?

“Functional literacy includes a range of skills and competencies – cognitive, affective, and behavioral – which enables individuals to: live and work as human persons; develop their potential; make critical and informed decisions and function effectively in society within the context of

their environment and that of their community (local, regional, national, global) in order to improve the quality of their life and that of society.

What are the Major Indicators of Functional Literacy?

LCC after a series of consultation arrived at major indicators of functional literacy. The major indicators as documented by LCC in May 24, 2002 are as follows:

Communication skills

Critical Thinking and Problem

Solving

Sustainable Use of Resources/Productivity

Development of Self and a Sense of

Community

Expanding One’s World

Vision

ability to clearly express one’s ideas and feelings orally and non-verbally ability to listen ability to read, comprehend and respond to ideas presented ability to write one’s ideas and feelings

numeracy skills to be open to change to be aware of options ability to make critical and informed decisions innovativeness and creativity scientific thinking future orientation

ability to earn a living sustainable use of resources and appropriate technology entrepreneurship productivity

self-development-self awareness-self-discipline-sense of responsibility-self-worth-self-realization-may paninindigan-pagbabagong-loob pakikipagkapwa-pakikilahok-pakikiisa/ kapatiran a sense of personal and national identity-makatao-makabayan-makakalikasan-maka-Diyos knowledge of one’s history, pride in one’s culture and respect for those of others

knowledge, acceptance, respect, and appreciation of diversity peace nonviolent resolution of conflicts global awareness, interdependence and solidarity

What is the Literacy Status of Filipinos?

According to the results of the 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), about one in 10 of the population 10 to 64 years old cannot read and write or basically illiterate.

Basic literacy rate among females is higher (90.4%) as compared with males (86.8%). Among regions, NCR has the highest basic literacy rate with 97 percent. It is followed by Ilocos (Region 1) and CALABARZON (Region IVA) with around 94 percent each. ARMM has the lowest rate with seven out of 10 persons aged 10 to 64 years considered as basically literate.

In 2003, 51 million or 88.6 percent of Filipinos aged 10-64 can read and write. Of those who can read and write (51 million), 5.1 percent cannot compute or lack of numerical skills.

The 2003 FLEMMS revealed a functional literacy rate which is similar to the 1994 rate of 84 percent. Of the estimated 58 million Filipinos 10 to 64 years old, around 49 million are functional literate. The functional literacy rate among females is higher than among males (86.3% vs. 81.9%)

Among the regions, NCR ranks first in terms of functional literacy rate (94.6%), followed by CALABARZON (90.4%) and Ilocos (88.6%). ARMM has the lowest functional literacy rate (62.9%)

In the 2003 FLEMMS, a self-administered functional literacy questionnaire was accomplished by persons 10 to 64 years old in order to determine their literacy status. Literacy was categorized into four levels based on the individual responses in the self-administered questionnaire. Persons who cannot read an write are considered illiterate.

Persons who can only read and write are considered basically literate (Level 1). Persons who can read, write and compute (Level 2) and persons who can read, write, compute, and comprehend (Level 3) are considered as functional literate. Hence, a functionally literate person is one who can read, write and compute or one who can read, write, compute, and comprehend. Persons who graduated from high school or completed a higher level of education were automatically considered functionally literate in the tabulations.

As to be expected, functional literacy rate of the population increases with an increasing level of education. Nine out of 10 persons who had reached high school level but did not complete it are functionally literate. By comparison, eight out of 10 elementary graduates are functionally literate while around six out of 10 persons with some elementary education are functionally literate. Only around two percent among those with no formal education are functionally literate. Among those who have had at most elementary education, those who are in the age group 10-14 are more likely be functionally literate than those in the older age groups.

With respect to age, the age group 20-24 has the highest functional literacy rate followed by the age groups 15-19 and 25-29. The age group 60-64 has the lowest survey results also showed that seven out of 10 of the population aged 10 to 64 years who are poor are functionally literate compared to nine out of 10 among the non-poor. In the 2003 FLEMMS, ownership of household amenities and conveniences were used as a substitute for income in order to classify the households into either poor or non-poor.

An examination of the data on functional literacy among poor and non-poor populations in each of the regions shows that the functional literacy rate of the poor is lower compared to the non-poor. Regions in Mindanao generally show lower functional literacy rates among their poor population compared to most of the other regions. In four out of six regions in Mindanao, the functional literacy rate among the poor population is below the national average of 69 percent. Bicol (68.5%), Central Visayas (69.2%), and Eastern Visayas (64.3%) have the functional literacy rates which are lower than the national average.

WHAT DID I LEARN?Activity 1Directions: Underline the word which can best complete the sentences.

The 1. (Literary, Literacy) Coordinating Council is a 2. (local, national) policy-making, advisory, and 3. (coordinating, collecting) body that provides 4. (overall, particular) policy and program direction to the country’s effort to universalize 5. (literacy, education), that is, to make 6. (every, any) Filipino literate.

It is 7. (an interagency, the sole) body administratively attached to the 8. (Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education).

The LCC has a Secretariat that serves as its technical staff. Its 9. (Secretariat, President) monitors efforts addressed to the 10. (attainment, universalization) of literacy.

The 1. _________ Coordinating Council is a 2. __________ policy-making, advisory and 3. _____________ body that provides 4. ___________ policy and program direction to the country’s effort to universalize 5. ____________, that is, to make 6. _____________ Filipino literate.

It is 7. ____________ body administratively attached to the 8. ___________.

The LCC has a Secretariat that serves as its technical staff. Its 9. ____________ monitors efforts addressed to the 10. _____________ of literacy.

Activity 1.1Directions: Write the word which can best complete the sentences. Choose from the list below.

Literacy national coordinating collecting overall

education every any interagency particular the sole

local Secretariat President attainment

Universalization Commission on Higher Education

Department of Education