More than 15,900 learners in Davao City cannot yet read grade-level texts without significant difficulty, according to data released by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
The commission placed 15,914 assessed learners in the city, or 46 percent, at the frustration level. Another 10,097 students, or 29 percent, were at the instructional level, while only 8,453, or 25 percent, could read independently.
The figures come from a Department of Education (DepEd) assessment conducted in June at the opening of school year (SY) 2026-2027. It found that 45 percent of learners in Davao City and 48 percent across the Davao region were struggling readers.
EDCOM 2 executive director Karol Mark Yee said the gaps must be closed before children move further up the school ladder.
“The learning crisis did not happen overnight… it compounded over the years. We must act now to address illiteracy, especially among children in Grades 1 to 3. Every child who continues to struggle with reading needs timely support. Otherwise, they risk moving up to the next grade without fully understanding their lessons,” Yee said.
The commission said the regional results are consistent with what it has seen elsewhere in the country.
“These findings reflect the broader literacy challenges identified by EDCOM 2 nationwide, wherein 45 percent of assessed learners were classified as struggling readers,” EDCOM 2 said.
At the provincial level, EDCOM 2 drew on the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment administered at the close of SY 2025-2026. Davao Occidental had the largest share of struggling readers among the region’s five provinces at 18.5 percent. Davao del Norte followed at 14.8 percent, then Davao Oriental at 13.4 percent, Davao de Oro at 10.1 percent, and Davao del Sur at 9.5 percent.
EDCOM 2 also cited data showing that reading proficiency drops sharply in the higher grades. Proficient readers made up 30.52 percent of Grade 3 learners, but the share fell to 19.56 percent in Grade 6, 0.74 percent in Grade 10, and 0.40 percent in Grade 12.
DepEd Memorandum 64 sorts struggling readers into levels. Those classified as low-emerging have only a partial command of letters and the sounds they represent, and have trouble blending sounds to form simple words. Learners at the high-emerging level already recognize most letters but still cannot decode words expected at their grade.