5 February 2026

In a move to mobilize the higher education sector for national development, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) renewed its push for colleges and universities to actively combat illiteracy and learning challenges in their local communities.

The Commission issued a memorandum urging Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to integrate functional literacy programs into their extension services, in support of a whole-of-government approach to improving functional literacy rates and supporting the objectives of Republic Act 7165, the Act Creating the Literacy Coordinating Council.

These initiatives come in light of findings in the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2)’s Final Report, citing the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS). The report revealed that nearly 30 percent of Filipinos aged 10 to 64 are functionally illiterate—including 18 percent of college students and 7 percent with graduate degrees. The number of Filipinos struggling with functional literacy has risen to 11.8 million, exceeding the 10.3 million recorded in 1991.

Furthermore, current basic literacy levels often fall short of the competencies envisioned in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims for Filipinos to thrive in both society and the workforce.

CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis emphasized that functional literacy is key to achieving these national goals. She emphasized the critical role of HEIs in complementing the efforts of the basic education sector, particularly in communities facing resource constraints.

“True nation-building requires that we lift up the millions of Filipinos who still fall within the 10 percent illiteracy gap. We are urging our Higher Education Institutions to go beyond traditional extension work and adopt a scientific, outcomes-based approach to functional literacy”, Chair Agrupis said.

To ensure effectiveness, CHED has introduced the Basic and Functional Literacy Framework, which provides HEIs with standards for designing, implementing, and evaluating literacy extension programs. The framework shifts literacy initiatives from short-term outreach activities to structured interventions with defined targets, methodologies, and measurable results.

Under the framework, literacy extension programs are expected to be anchored on:

• Data-driven Planning: Programs must be guided by factual, updated data to properly identify target groups in need.
• Science-based Pedagogy and Andragogy: CHED highlights the wealth of research available on how to effectively teach literacy. Students and staff deployed as literacy teachers must be equipped with scientifically grounded teaching methods for children (pedagogy) and adults (andragogy) prior to deployment.
• Outcomes-based Activities: Interventions must have specific target indicators, such as pre- and post-program tests, to measure if the program has successfully eliminated illiteracy in participants.

The initiative also enjoins colleges and universities nationwide to tap into the National Service Training Program (NSTP). HEIs capable of offering the Literacy Training Service (LTS) component are encouraged to extend these programs into community extension services.

Beyond direct teaching, CHED is urging research-oriented institutions to conduct action research on effective literacy strategies. This includes surveying the literacy landscape of localities and developing new technologies to aid learning.

“We have long recognized that the education crisis is too big for any single agency to solve alone. This game-changing partnership between CHED and DepEd, mobilizing our colleges and universities, is exactly the kind of ‘whole-of-nation’ approach we need”, EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said.

“By deploying our tertiary students and faculty to support functional literacy, we are not just addressing learning gaps in basic education; we are grounding our higher education extension services in the most urgent realities of our communities. We hope this sparks a nationwide movement where every HEI becomes a hub for literacy and lifelong learning”, he continued.

Next Steps for HEIs

University presidents and officers-in-charge are encouraged to review and update their existing extension designs to align with the national literacy goal. The Commission, through its Regional Offices and the Office of Student Development and Services (OSDS), will conduct regular assessments and monitoring to support policy enhancement and program development.

This voluntary integration of functional literacy into extension services aligns with CHED’s A.C.H.I.E.V.E Agenda, which seeks to ensure quality education at every stage of life, and responds to the urgent need to equip all Filipinos with essential skills in reading, writing, computation, and comprehension.