Reading Crisis Calls for More Books for Filipino Children

The recent article published on Gully Books about the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report left me deeply troubled. It revealed that nearly 19 million Filipino high school graduates between 2019 and 2024 cannot fully understand what they read. This problem highlights a broader concern that begins long before students enter high school—and one urgent solution is to put more books for Filipino children into their hands from an early age.

The PSA revised its definition of functional literacy in its 2024 survey. Under this updated standard, literacy now includes comprehending what is read—not just reading words or writing them down. Because of this shift, the number of functionally literate Filipinos dropped from 79 million to 60 million. These numbers tell a difficult truth: many young people graduate from school without understanding even the basics of what they read.

We Need Early Access to Books for Filipino Children

In some parts of the country, the problem is even worse. According to the PSA, places like Tawi-Tawi, Davao Occidental, and Zamboanga del Sur recorded as high as 67% functional illiteracy rates. These aren’t just statistics. They represent real students who went through years of education but left the system without the most basic skill they need to succeed in life—reading comprehension.

If we wait until high school to address this issue, we’ve already waited too long. Children must develop the habit and joy of reading at an early age. They must grow up with stories they can relate to and understand. This is why we need more books for Filipino children reflecting their language, families, and everyday lives. We need books that make reading enjoyable, not intimidating. Without that foundation, efforts to fix things at the senior high school level will always fall short.

The Gully Books article also mentioned that the Department of Education has responded by revising the K to 10 curriculum and launching learning recovery programs. Those are welcome changes. But no curriculum update can fix what’s missing if students don’t have regular access to reading materials that help build their vocabulary and spark their curiosity.

The truth is reading cannot only happen in classrooms. It must happen at home, in libraries, and communities. We must ask ourselves: do our neighborhoods have spaces for children to read? Are we giving them stories that matter to them? Are we celebrating young readers?

The Gully Books article clarified that the problem is widespread and has a long-term impact. To change the future, we must start by helping young readers today. Let’s ensure that books for Filipino children aren’t just available everywhere.