Deped ramps up intervention: Reading woes persist in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu Province Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Senen Priscillo Paulin has admitted that reading comprehension remains a persistent challenge among learners in Cebu and other parts of Central Visayas, prompting them to intensify intervention programs across schools in the province.

Paulin said the issue is widespread and not limited to specific areas, stressing that reading difficulties are evident across all schools under the province’s jurisdiction.

“This is a universal concern. The reading comprehension concern of our school children… it’s not only in selected schools. All schools have that,” Paulin said.

He was referring to the 1,143 schools under the Cebu Province division, excluding the highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Danao, Bogo, Naga, Talisay and Carcar.

At the national level, recent findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) showed that reading challenges remain widespread among Filipino learners.

Based on the Department of Education’s March 2026 Senior High School Literacy and Numeracy Assessment, around 1.3 million out of 1.4 million Grade 11 students assessed nationwide struggled to comprehend what they read.

The commission also flagged regional disparities in literacy outcomes, noting that Central Visayas or Region VII, which includes Cebu, recorded a higher proportion of struggling readers compared to several other regions.

Alongside Region VII, other areas were likewise identified as having significant literacy challenges, underscoring uneven learning recovery across the country.

The same EDCOM II report noted that while reading proficiency improved during School Year 2025-2026, nearly half of learners still failed to meet grade-level expectations by March 2026.

Across grade levels, about 40 percent of learners were classified as struggling readers at the start of the school year, based on DepEd data cited by the commission.

By the end of the school year, the share of learners reaching grade-level readiness improved significantly, rising from 19 percent to 48 percent, or a 29-percentage-point increase.

Despite the gains, EDCOM II said roughly one in every two learners nationwide remained below expected reading proficiency levels.

In Cebu Province, the education department said it is intensifying interventions in response to both national and regional literacy concerns.

Paulin said the province has aligned its response with the Department of Education’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, a nationwide learning recovery initiative aimed at addressing learning gaps, particularly in reading.

“The ARAL program is a whole-nation approach. We are training tutors to conduct reading remediation classes for learners who need support,” Paulin said.

He added that Cebu had already implemented its own tutoring system even before the national rollout of ARAL.

“We already have a tutor-for-every-reader approach. If schools can afford to deload a teacher and assign them as a remedial reading teacher, we are doing that,” he said.

According to Paulin, the localized tutoring initiative began this school year as part of the province’s early intervention efforts.

He emphasized that the reading intervention drive is separate from curriculum reforms in senior high school.

“The strengthened Senior High School program does not intend to address the reading problem. It is for strengthening the Senior High School program,” he said.

Paulin explained that the curriculum revision focuses on decongestion and improving graduates’ employability through increased work immersion and reduced academic load.

From 15 core subjects, the senior high school curriculum has been reduced to five, allowing more time for practical training and immersion activities.

He said the approach aims to ensure that graduates are prepared either for employment or higher education.

“In the hope that the time spent reduced would be used for work immersion… to ensure our students are ready for employment if they are not ready for university,” Paulin said.

He also cited support from the Provincial School Board in strengthening literacy programs across Cebu Province.

“The provincial government is helping us through the Provincial School Board. They have provided funds to procure materials for the reading program,” he said.

Paulin added that discussions are ongoing on a proposal to fund reading tutors at the provincial level, although the plan remains under evaluation.

He said Cebu’s approach reflects a combination of national and local initiatives aimed at improving literacy outcomes.

“We integrated it. We cannot stop it because the ARAL program seems to be a validation that we are on the right direction,” Paulin said. (CEBU NEWS)