In the Philippines, the ability to read and write is a priority, so any effort to promote literacy by the

government, organizations, or even private individuals is celebrated.

“It is through literacy that one is empowered to interact in his community and realizes his worth, what
he can do and eventually make him do things that contribute in sustainable development of his society.
Prior to World War I, the literacy rate in the Philippines was at a dismal 20%. But it was one of the
countries that experienced rapid school expansion in the late 1930s,

Shifts in the country’s education system were rooted in structural changes and policymaking bodies
throughout history.

The creation of regulation surrounding education took some 70 years to evolve in 1960 and 1970
literacy data did not include education offered outside regular classrooms, including community learning
centers and public halls, for out-of-school youths, dropouts, and differently abled.

DepEd is currently finalizing the policy on Learning Action Cell implementation and strengthening. this is
envisioned as “a sustainable and cost-effective means of supporting teacher development.” The
Learning Action Cells are group-based intervention toward improving teaching practice, and that the
reading program, especially in the K–3 stage, will benefit substantially from the intervention. The
Department of Education also seeks to develop more reading experts from the ranks of teachers
through scholarships, long-term trainings, locally available or abroad, to help strengthen the reading
programs. But education reforms and literacy projects cannot be in the hands of DepEd alone. Schools
implement their own strategies to contribute to literacy development. Book drives initiated by the
private sector are also popular in the Philippines, such as the Philippine Toy Library, which collects
books, board games, and even musical instruments, and Books for a Cause, a movement that distributes
books to schools located in remote areas.

One more notable aspect about the project is that the lessons were tested through demonstration
lessons in the different schools in the Philippines and were revised to incorporate the collective
suggestions and feedback of teachers, This project is really a huge collaborative effort of teachers and
the city officials and community as well.”

I believe that people should never give up on guiding and inspiring children in achieving literacy because
literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.