Latest news with #PhilippineStatisticsAuthority
GMA Network
27-05-2025
- General
- GMA Network
Pasay, San Juan score highest literacy rate in 2024 —PSA
Pasay City scored the highest basic literacy rate while San Juan City recorded the highest functional literacy rate among highly urbanized cities in 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Based on PSA's 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) report, basic literacy is the ability of a person to read and write a simple message with understanding and to compute or perform basic mathematical operations. Meanwhile, functional literacy is the ability of a person to read, write, compute, and comprehend. This skill includes a higher level of comprehension. In the 2024 FLEMMS, Pasay logged a 96.2% basic literacy rate. This means around 96 of 100 individuals five years old and above in the city can read, write, and compute. Pasay was followed by Cagayan de Oro City (96.1%), San Juan City (95.50%), Pasig City (95.50%), and Mandaue City (95.2%). Meanwhile, San Juan recorded a 94.5% functional literacy rate, or about 95 out of 100 individuals in the city can read, write, compute, and comprehend. San Juan was followed by Baguio City (89.8%), Pasig City (89.1%), Pateros (88.1%), and Makati City (87.3%). Among the provinces in the Philippines, Apayao garnered the highest basic literacy with 95.2%, while Benguet recorded the highest functional literacy with 87.9%. Completing the Top 5 provinces with the highest basic literacy are Romblon (94.6%), Nueva Ecija (94.23%), Bohol (94.22%), and Rizal (94.20%). Second to the highest functional literacy rate is Rizal (82.1%), followed by Romblon (81.9%), Batangas (81.3%), and Siquijor (80.0%). 2024 FLEMMS reported that for every 100 individuals 5 years old and over, about 95 individuals can read, write, and compute in Apayao. Out of 100 individuals 10 to 64 years old, about 88 can read, write, compute, and comprehend in Benguet. Meanwhile, Tawi-Tawi (30.5%), Davao Occidental (21%), Basilan (19.8%), Northern Samar (19.5%), and Sarangani (15.7%) got the highest illiteracy rates, respectively. The FLEMMS is a household-based nationwide survey conducted every five years. The 2024 FLEMMS is the seventh in the series of literacy surveys in the country that started in 1989. It was conducted from September to October 2024.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
24-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
DepEd: 3M students in need of assistance due to learning gaps
Three million students require assistance due to learning gaps, according to the Department of Education's (DepEd) assessment. The DepEd made the statement after the Philippine Statistics Authority found 5.58 million high school graduates âfunctionally illiterate" or having problems in comprehension and understanding. âMayroon pong expected na dapat matutunan ng mga bata. [Kung] hindi po nila inabot yung expectation na âyon, may gap po sa pagkatuto⦠Marami pong problema, marami pong factors kung bakit nangyayari yan, kaya dapat po talagang pagtulungan ng teacher [at] ng magulang para maitawid yung mga bata, maabot nila yung kaalaman [at] mga skills na dapat matutunan nila,â DepEd Undersecretary Gina Gonong said in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday. (There are expectations on what a child should learn. [If] they do not reach those expectations, there is a learning gap⦠There are a lot of problems and lots of factors as to why this happens, so teachers and parents should really work on helping the child obtain the knowledge and learn the necessary skills.) âMalayo-layo po, mahaba-haba pa yung kailangan namin lakbayin para po matulungan ang mga bata,â she added. (It's still a long way to go for us to help the children.) DepEdâs Academic Recovery and Learning (ARAL) Program aims to address learning gaps that lead to difficulties in learning and comprehension. The program was mandated by Republic Act 12028, which was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in October 2024. The law covers the following: Those who have returned or are returning to school after a furlough; Those who are below the minimum proficiency levels required in reading, mathematics, and science; or Those who are failing in examinations and tests as assessed and evaluated by the teachers during the course of the school year. âNgayong pasukan po ipapatupad natin yung [ARAL program]⦠Covered po ng ARAL program ang reading and math for Grades 1 to 10, at tsaka science po for Grades 3 to 10,â said Gonong. (We will be implementing [the ARAL program] this school year⦠The ARAL program covers reading and math for Grades 1 to 10 and science for Grades 3 to 10.) Under the ARAL program, children would undergo assessments to determine the need for tutorials and further study programs outside classrooms. Tutorials would be held for not more than one hour per day or not more than two hours per day for weekend programs and would be held by different teachers. âPuwede din pong [magturo] mga teacher applicants namin, mga licensed teachers ang mga yan. Puwede pong teachers from private schools, puwede pong mga pre-service teachers, yung mga may competence para magturo, mag-tutor sa ating mga bata,â said Gonong. (Our teacher applicants may teach as they are licensed teachers. Teachers from private schools can too, as well as pre-service teachers, whoever has the competence to teach and tutor our children.) Public schools will provide the program for free, and there are efforts to make it mandatory for students who need help. âKailangan naming pagtrabahuhan 'yan sa field, kasi minsan kahit sabihin naming mandatory, may mga parents na hindi pinapayagan ang mga bata. Kailangan talagang mag-advocate, kausapin, mag-orient ng mga parents para maintindihan nila kung bakit kailangan talaga mag-undergo ng program ang kanilang mga anak,â Gonong said. (We still need to work on that in the field, because sometimes even if we say that itâs mandatory, there are parents who refuse to let their children participate. We really need to advocate, talk to, and orient the parents so they can understand why their children need to go through the program.) â Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
20-05-2025
- GMA Network
PSA warns vs. fake news that it grants ayuda to senior citizens
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Statistical Services Office on Tuesday warned the public against fake news spreading online about ayuda or cash assistance given by the agency to senior citizens with a National ID. In a statement on Tuesday, the PSA clarified that it is not granting ayuda or cash assistance to senior citizens. 'The PSA emphasizes that any ayuda or cash assistance for the Senior Citizens are not granted by PSA. Thus, the registration on National ID may be a requirement of the concerned agency for their beneficiaries' specially senior citizens,' PSA said Tuesday in a statement. 'In various transactions, the National ID is accepted as valid proof of identity. It is also used in applying for government benefits, such benefits are granted based on the rules and regulations of the concerned agency,' it added. PSA also urged the public to follow and visit its website or Facebook page or the PhilSys site to acquire legitimate information. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
19-05-2025
- General
- GMA Network
PSA: 5.58 junior high school graduates lack comprehension skills
'The estimated number of high school graduates, including junior high completers 10 to 64 years old, who are basic literate but are not functionally literate because of lack of comprehension skills stands at 5.58 million in 2024,' Cerezo said. There are 5.58 million high school graduates considered 'functionally illiterate" or having problems in comprehension and understanding, the Philippine Statistics Authority has clarified. PSA assistant national statistician Adrian Cerezo made the clarification in a House committee briefing in the wake of reports that the number of junior high school graduates tagged as 'functional illiterate' or those who have problems in comprehension and understanding, stood at 18.9 million. 'We'd like to point out that the difference of 18.965 million between the old and new definition…does not represent only those who graduated from senior high and high school graduates in the old curriculum," PSA assistant national statistician Adrian Cerezo said. "[It] stands for all 10 to 64 years old who have functional literacy deficiencies regardless of educational attainment,' he added. 'The estimated number of high school graduates, including junior high completers 10 to 64 years old, who are basic literate but are not functionally literate because of lack of comprehension skills stands at 5.58 million in 2024,' Cerezo said. House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chairman Roman Romulo said that the 5.58 million individuals who still couldn't understand what they read, even with a high school diploma, should be a cause of concern. The Department of Education (DepEd) has pointed out that the 18.9 million Filipinos considered as 'functionally illiterate' based on the results of the 2024 functional literacy, education, and mass media survey (FLEMMS) came from a much broader age group, and were not only high school graduates. These people who are functionally illiterate can read, write, and compute, but struggle with comprehension, regardless of their educational attainment. Cerezo said that of the 18.9 million, over 13 million people were not able to finish junior or senior high school at the very least. 'It doesn't make the picture any better because ibig sabihin, 'yung 13 million tinatanggal niyo lang, gusto niyo lang sabihin na hindi kasi nag-graduate ng high school 'yan—pero pwedeng dumaan hanggang Grade 9, Grade 8… So, it's not reflective of a quality education being given by DepEd,' Romulo said. (It doesn't make the picture any better because that means that with the 13 million you are removing, you just want to say that they weren't able to graduate from high school—but it's possible that they were able to reach Grade 9, Grade 8... So, it's not reflective of a quality education being given by DepEd.) 'Again, 5.5 million pa rin ang nakapagtapos ng senior high school or high school na hindi maka-comprehend ng binabasa…5.5 million pa rin 'yun, malaki pa rin. Gusto niyo lang sabihin sa'min na 'yung 13 million, hindi kasi nakapag-tapos pero pwedeng nag-aral 'yun,' he continued. (Again, there are still 5.5 million who graduated from senior high school or high school who can't understand what they still 5.5 million, it's still a lot. You just want to tell us that the 13 million were removed because they didn't graduate, but they could have still gone to school.) –NB, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
PH inflation in April slows to 1.4%, lowest in over 5 years — PSA
The Philippines' inflation eased to 1.4% in April, the lowest level since November 2019, driven by declining rice prices and slower increases in transport and food costs, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported. National Statistician Dennis Mapa highlighted the significant role of falling rice prices in pulling down the overall inflation rate. Rice inflation registered -10.9% last month, with regular-milled rice averaging P44.45/kg, well-milled at P50.54, and special rice at P60.69. 'Itong April 2025 rice inflation… malaking contribution sa pagbaba ng presyo ng overall bilihin at serbisyo ng bansa,' Mapa said. Despite this, pork prices remained a major inflation driver, with fresh pork kasim at P364.79/kg and liempo at P381.02/kg — figures affected by the ongoing impact of African Swine Fever. The Department of Agriculture's price control measures continue to face low compliance. Other upward pressures came from electricity, poultry, rentals, and dining out, which could contribute to a potential rise in inflation in the coming months, according to Mapa. April's inflation brings the year-to-date average to 2%, within the government's target band of 2% to 4%. The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development emphasized the need for continued coordination to stabilize prices, especially for essential goods.
