Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has urged the national government to increase the Department of Education’s (DepEd) annual budget to address the worsening problem of functional illiteracy, especially in Mindanao. He cited the need for more classrooms, teachers, training, books, equipment, and digital tools for students.
Rodriguez and the Abante Mindanao (ABAMIN) party-list group raised concern over a PSA report showing high functional illiteracy among 18.9 million Filipinos who finished secondary education from 2019 to 2024. These individuals can read and compute but struggle with comprehension.
Eight of the 10 provinces with the highest basic illiteracy rates are in Mindanao, led by Tawi-Tawi (36%), Davao Occidental and Basilan (23%), and Sarangani (18%). Northern Samar (20%) and Samar (16%) were the only areas outside Mindanao in the top 10.
Rodriguez criticized the P10 billion cut in DepEd’s computerization fund and appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to augment it through budget realignment. He also proposed an annual funding increase starting in the 2026 national budget.
He welcomed DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara’s commitment to make functional literacy a priority but urged the department to share its action plan so Congress can support it effectively.