Nearly half of Davao City's early-grade learners are struggling readers, EDCOM 2 data shows
A beginning-of-school-year literacy assessment found 46 percent of Grade 1 to 3 learners in Davao City at the two lowest reading levels, with only 13 percent reading at grade level.
About 46 percent of Grade 1 to 3 learners assessed in Davao City at the start of School Year 2026-2027 were classified as struggling readers, according to data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reported by Mindanao Times.
The figures come from the Department of Education's Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) conducted at the beginning of the school year. Of the 83,559 learners assessed in the city, 38,228 fell into the "Low Emerging" and "High Emerging" categories, the bottom two of five reading levels. Of these, 29,109 learners (35 percent) were Low Emerging and 9,119 (11 percent) were High Emerging.
The city's rate is slightly higher than the national figure of about 45 percent, or 2,245,628 of 5,007,066 learners assessed across the country. It is, however, lower than the Davao Region (Region XI) rate of about 48 percent, or 124,388 of 258,630 learners.
Further up the scale, 12,040 Davao City learners (14 percent) were rated "Developing" and 22,319 (27 percent) were "Transitioning." Only 10,972 learners, or 13 percent, were found to be "Grade Level Ready." Regionally, 12 percent, or 30,322 learners, reached that level, compared with 14 percent nationwide.
In guidance attached to DepEd Memorandum No. 064, series of 2025, EDCOM 2 explained what each profile means. Learners in the Emerging categories are described as "just starting out": they know only a few letters and can sound out letters or syllables but cannot yet read whole words. EDCOM 2 said they need "foundation support," meaning systematic teaching of letter sounds and letter recognition.
Developing learners can read some words or common phrases but struggle to read continuously, and EDCOM 2 said teachers need to play a bigger role in helping them read simple stories more quickly. Transitioning learners read better but are still sometimes slow or inaccurate and need extra practice. Grade Level Ready learners can read various texts in their mother tongue and Filipino and are beginning to read in English, though EDCOM 2 said they still need more reading materials to build vocabulary and comprehension.
Why it matters for Davao
Nearly half of Davao City's youngest public school learners are starting the school year unable to read whole words, which signals how much foundational reading support schools and families will need to provide this year.
This article was written by the DavaoNews desk with AI assistance, using reporting by Mindanao Times. Facts come from the original report, which we credit and link below. Our editorial policy
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