Bacolod City has the highest basic literacy rate while Siquijor province has the highest functional literacy in the Negros Island Region (NIR), data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Monday, June 2.
Based on the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), Bacolod City has the highest basic literacy rate at 93.8 percent while Negros Occidental recorded the lowest at 83.4 percent.
Meanwhile, Siquijor posted the highest functional literacy rate at 80 percent while Negros Occidental still has the lowest at 59.4 percent.
Basic literacy is defined as the ability of a person to read and write a simple message in any language or dialect with understanding, and to compute or perform basic mathematical operations.
On the other hand, functional literacy refers to the ability to apply reading, writing, numeracy and comprehensive skills to daily life and work situations.
Regionwide, 87 percent, or about 9 out of 10 Filipinos aged 5 years and above, possess basic literacy.
“This indicates a strong foundation in reading and writing across a broad age range,” the PSA-NIR said.
The data translates to about 3.7 million individuals aged 5 years and above who can read, write, and compute from an estimated total of 4.3 million individuals in the same age group.
On the other hand, data pointed to an area for continued focus regarding practical application of literacy skills, indicating that only 65.7 percent, or about 7 out of 10 Filipinos in NIR aged 10 to 64, are functionally literate.
Around 2.3 million individuals in the region aged 10 to 64 years old can read, write, compute, and comprehend, from an estimated total of 3.5 million individuals in the same age group.
The 2024 FLEMMS conducted last October aims to gather data as basis in determining the state of literacy in the country, shaping inclusive and targeted education and training policies, to assess information dissemination strategies and identify gaps in media access, especially in rural and underserved platforms.*PNA