DepEd Needs Annual Budget Hike to Fight Illiteracy – Lawmaker

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has called on the national government to raise the Department of Education’s (DepEd) budget annually to combat the country’s growing functional illiteracy, especially in Mindanao.

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority data, Rodriguez said nearly 19 million high school graduates from 2019 to 2024 are considered functionally illiterate—able to read and write, but unable to comprehend. Most affected are provinces in Mindanao like Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Davao Occidental. He emphasized the urgent need for more classrooms, teachers, training, books, and digital tools. 

Rodriguez criticized this year’s P10-billion cut to DepEd’s computerization fund and urged President Marcos Jr. to augment it using government savings. He also supported Abante Mindanao's similar appeal for immediate action.

Rodriguez welcomed DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara’s commitment to make literacy reform a priority but called for concrete plans and sustained funding starting in 2026. He also encouraged private sector involvement in addressing the literacy crisis.