The Department of Education (DepEd) reported on Friday a ‘substantial’ literacy improvement amongst learners in Zamboanga Peninsula, following the pilot implementation of the Bawat Bata Makababasa Program (BBMP).
“The lesson here clearly shows that whenever you give attention to a baby, give them time, and supply the appropriate support, they learn,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release.
“This just isn’t a miracle—it’s the results of labor carried out collectively by teachers and the community,” he added.
The nationwide literacy crisis is certainly one of the important thing aspects that fueled the launch of the BBMP program. Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) in December 2025 showed that only 15% of scholars in grades 1 to three are grade-level readers, while 85% are considered “struggling readers.”
The BBMP program is an initiative that goals to assist struggling readers reach grade-level proficiency through a multi-sectoral approach involving teachers, volunteer tutors, parents, barangay officials, medical professionals, and personal sector partners.
This system was piloted in elementary schools across Region 9 as a part of the agency’s 2025 Summer Program and is soon to be rolled out nationwide under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.
“Without this system, data showed that many learners would have experienced learning losses during school breaks as a substitute of gains,” the DepEd said.
The post-program report, which was a collaboration between the World Bank and DepEd, showed that learning gains under the BBMP were estimated to be 4 to 5 times faster than those typically achieved through regular classroom instruction over a comparable timeframe.
The report also underscored that amongst grade 2 students in Filipino, grade-level readers increased from 2.23% to 26.22%, about 24% increase after completion of this system.
Meanwhile, the reading proficiency levels of learners also rose from 1.28 to 2.40.
The DepEd noted that observations from the sector, reminiscent of improved confidence and sophistication participation amongst struggling readers, were aligned with the quantitative results of the report. “Teachers reported that struggling readers became more willing to read aloud and have interaction at school inside days of targeted instruction.”
One in every of the sector implementers, nevertheless, raised concerns concerning the impacts of oldsters on children’s literacy rates.
“We’re step by step working to ascertain reading corners in the scholars’ homes by providing localized learning materials…in order that students can proceed practicing and interesting with the teachings outside school,” the report said, citing the sector implementer.
“Issues on parents’ literacy levels persist and affect learner engagement,” it added. — Almira Louise S. Martinez