Oriental Mindoro province recorded an 84.2% basic literacy rate among residents aged five and above, but functional literacy remains alarmingly lower at 69.6%, according to new government survey data released Friday.

The 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that approximately 702,000 individuals aged five and over can read, write, and perform basic mathematical operations out of an estimated 834,000 people in the same age group.

However, the gap between basic and functional literacy reveals comprehension problems across the province.

Among individuals aged 10 to 64 years, only 466,000 out of 669,000 demonstrated functional literacy – the ability to read, write, compute, and comprehend at higher levels including integrating information and making inferences.

The survey also revealed persistent gender gaps in both literacy categories.

Women outperformed men in basic literacy with 86.2% compared to 82.3% for males.

The disparity was even more pronounced in functional literacy, where 73.9% of women achieved the standard versus 65.6% of men.

“The gender gap in functional literacy is particularly concerning as it suggests women are better equipped for complex information processing tasks that are increasingly important in today’s economy,” said Dr. Charlyn Romero-Cantos, Officer-in-Charge of the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Statistical Office.

Young adults aged 20-24 years demonstrated the highest functional literacy rate at 82.7%, while those in the 60-64 age bracket recorded the lowest at 55.4%.

For basic literacy, teenagers aged 15-19 led with 95.3%, while children aged 5-9 had the lowest rate at 69.3%.

The most notable literacy gap appeared among individuals aged 50-59 years, where the difference between basic and functional literacy was most pronounced.

According to the survey, for every five people in this age group who can read, write and compute, one experiences comprehension difficulties.

Despite overall progress, 12.4% of residents aged five and above – approximately 12 out of every 100 individuals – remain unable to read and write.

Men face higher illiteracy rates at 14.4% compared to 10.4% for women.

An additional 3.4% of the population falls into the “low literate” category, meaning they can read and write but struggle with basic mathematical operations.

The 2024 FLEMMS adopted revised operational definitions and methodology approved by the PSA Board through Resolution No. 13, Series of 2024.

Basic literacy encompasses the ability to read and write simple messages in any language or dialect while performing basic mathematical operations.

Functional literacy requires higher-level comprehension skills including information integration and inference-making.

The survey results provide crucial baseline data for educational policy development and resource allocation in Oriental Mindoro.

For every 10 individuals in Oriental Mindoro, eight possess basic literacy skills while seven achieve functional literacy – a gap that education officials say requires targeted intervention programs focused on comprehension and critical thinking skills.

The findings bare educational crisis and the need for enhanced learning approaches that move beyond memorization and toward analytical thinking capabilities essential for economic participation in the modern workforce.

File photo courtesy of Pixabay (for illustration purposes only)