Tawi-Tawi in southwestern Mindanao has been flagged as a province with the highest number of struggling readers, according to the Second Educational Commission (EDCOM 2).
Edcom 2 reported that Tawi-Tawi has a 75.6-percent rate of students who find it difficult to read.
Other Mindanao provinces also registered high rate of illiteracy, such as Maguindanao del Norte with 65.38 percent, North Cotabato with 64.49 percent, and Zamboanga City with 60.72 percent.
Conversely, Sto. Tomas, Batangas manifested the lowest number of struggling readers at 23.42 percent, followed by the country’s northernmost province of Batanes with 24.38 percent.
Valenzuela City is the only cityin Metro Manila with one of the lowest rates at 27.44 percent, along with Bohol and Leyte in the Visayas.
The data were culled from the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) of the Department of Education conducted at the beginning of the School Year 2025-2026.
The CRLA aims to assess learners from Grades 1 to 3 in their literacy skills to aid in the intervention programs based on their results.
EDCOM 2 has urged local government units to empower learners from Kinder to Grade 3 by promoting literacy programs to prevent occurrence of “learning poverty”.
“Foundational literacy in Key Stage 1 is the single most important academic milestone your local schools must achieve,” the committee stated in its report, referring to learners before Grade 4.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “EDCOM 2 says Tawi-Tawi has the most students struggling to read”
