In the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Philippines scored lowest in Reading and second-lowest in Mathematics and Science among the 79 participating countries.
Luz, Former Undersecretary of Education, explained that there is a high literary level in the Philippines; however, there appears to be low functional literacy in Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Luz bemoaned the lack of an ability to follow written and verbal instructions to accomplish given tasks and solve problems and to proceed to more complex problem-solving.
Perez, President of the Reading Association of the Philippines indicated the need for text, print, digital materials, and internet; the need for teacher modeling and shared practice towards independent practice; need to discern the credibility of a text.