CEBU — MORE than 31,600 learners in Grades 1 to 3 in Cebu Province were not reading at grade level by the end of School Year 2025-2026, underscoring the need for stronger early literacy and childhood development interventions, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) said.
The figure was presented by EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark R. Yee during the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) ECCD Convergence 2026 in Cebu on Oct. 1.
Based on the Department of Education’s Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment, the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Cebu ranked third nationwide in the number of struggling readers, with about 11 percent, or 13,300 Key Stage 1 learners, classified as struggling readers.
Yee said several local government units, including Talisay, Balamban, Liloan, Consolacion and Madridejos, have among the highest concentrations of struggling readers, pointing to the need for targeted and locally appropriate interventions.
He warned that failure to address reading difficulties before learners reach Grade 4 could widen learning gaps in later years. EDCOM 2’s final report, Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform, found that many junior and senior high school students still struggle to read and comprehend texts at their grade level.
Yee also linked early literacy outcomes to conditions affecting children before they enter school.
Around 25,000 children under five in Cebu Province were reported to be stunted, based on the National Nutrition Council’s 2025 Operation Timbang Plus. Research cited by EDCOM 2 showed that stunted children are 16 percent more likely to repeat a grade, while cognitive damage associated with stunting after 24 months of age cannot be reversed.
Under the National Education Plan 2026-2035, EDCOM 2 aims to increase the proportion of Key Stage 1 learners reading at grade level from 47.74 percent at the end of School Year 2024-2025 to 75 percent by 2028, 90 percent by 2031 and 95 percent by 2035.
Yee urged Cebu officials and stakeholders to establish measurable local targets for reducing stunting, expanding access to early childhood education and improving literacy.
“If these are our national targets, what targets will Cebu as a province set in terms of reducing stunting, improving access to early childhood education, and also addressing illiteracy at Grade 3?” Yee said.
He said setting specific targets would help determine the resources and collective effort needed to ensure that children in Cebu are not left behind.
“With the many universities here in Cebu, the active engagement of civil society organizations such as RAFI, and the determination of the local government, I am sure that Cebu can make significant progress in education and nutrition in the years ahead,” Yee said.
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