DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 July) — Nearly half of Filipino learners are unable to read at grade level by the end of Grade 3, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), a learning crisis the commission says begins long before children ever enter a classroom. Hoping to address one of its root causes, EDCOM 2 has partnered with Caritas Philippines and social enterprise Linya-Linya to launch BOOKSan ang Kinabukasan — a nationwide campaign that aims to bring children’s books directly into communities through parish-, school-, and barangay-managed reading spaces. By December 2026, the initiative aims to establish reading hubs in 20 dioceses across Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, including the Archdiocese of Cotabato and the dioceses of Malaybalay, Marbel, and Tandag. “EDCOM has emphasized that the learning crisis begins before children enter school — especially in the first 1,000 days of life,” Luigi Conti of EDCOM 2 told MindaNews. “Our call to ‘Fix the Foundations’ … goes beyond this — into literacy in Key Stage One,” he said, referring to the period spanning from Kindergarten up until Grade 1. “This is why we have sounded the alarm on findings that most Grade 3 students are one to two years behind curriculum expectations,” he added. EDCOM 2’s Final Report found that 48.76% of Filipino learners are not reading at grade level by the end of Grade 3, and these findings led them to include access to early childhood education and literacy by the end of Grade 3 as two of the program’s main goals. According to the commission, the country’s learning crisis does not begin inside classrooms but much earlier, pointing to children’s limited access to books during their earliest years as one of the most significant — and most addressable — barriers to foundational literacy. The campaign cites additional findings showing that six in every 10 Filipino homes with young children do not own children’s books, while children who are read to daily hear more than one million more words by age five than those who are not. These figures underscore the role of early exposure to books and storytelling in developing children’s language and reading skills before formal schooling begins. Rather than building conventional libraries, BOOKSan ang Kinabukasan seeks to establish community-managed collections of children’s books in homes, daycare centers, schools, parishes, and barangay halls. The project offers two models: Reading Boxes — containing around 30 to 35 books for smaller communities, barangay outposts, or family clusters; and Reading Nooks — containing around 70 to 75 books intended for larger community spaces such as parishes, schools, and daycare centers. According to the campaign, these collections will be managed through existing Church, local government, school, and civil society networks to make books more accessible to children where they already live and gather. Caritas Philippines Executive Director Fr. Carmelo “Tito” Caluag described the initiative as an effort to ensure that children experience the joy of reading in their own language, saying that education “is not a privilege — it is a right, and it is a calling.” Among the 20 dioceses identified for the campaign’s initial rollout are four in Mindanao: the Archdiocese of Cotabato, and the dioceses of Malaybalay, Marbel, and Tandag. While the campaign is national in scope, including Mindanao in its first phase means communities in the region are among those expected to receive the first Reading Boxes and Reading Nooks before the end of the year. Unlike programs centered solely on schools, BOOKSan ang Kinabukasan places books within community spaces, recognizing that children’s literacy development begins long before they enter formal education. “The 20 dioceses across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are the areas we identified with high stunting rates and/or a high number of struggling readers,” Conti explained. The campaign also reflects the role that faith-based institutions and local communities can play in addressing educational challenges beyond the classroom, especially in areas where access to children’s books and other related materials remains limited. The campaign’s first deployment is scheduled for completion by December 2026, with Reading Boxes and Reading Nooks expected to reach all 20 identified dioceses. Beyond distributing books, EDCOM 2 hopes the initiative will encourage regular reading among young children by making books available within communities instead of limiting access to schools or libraries. “Beyond this, we will also target instilling an appreciation for literacy not only within the community but also as priority programs in local government units — from the barangay to the provinces,” Conti said. BOOKSan ang Kinabukasan is accepting donations from individuals, organizations, and parishes to fund additional Reading Boxes and Reading Nooks as the project expands. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
