Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara has commended DepEd Region 6 for organizing the 2026 Literacy and Numeracy Expo, highlighting the initiative’s role in strengthening foundational learning among Filipino students.
Angara served as guest of honor at the Literacy and Numeracy Expo-cum-Training of Trainers on the Institutionalization of Technical Instructional Delivery, which opened Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Punta Villa Resort in Iloilo City and will run until Nov. 5.
The education chief said the initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to return to the basics of education by strengthening children’s reading, writing and arithmetic skills, particularly in the early grade levels.
Angara also cited the Philippines’ improved performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), compared with its 2022 results.
The Philippines recorded mean scores of 373 in science, 371 in mathematics and 367 in reading in the latest assessment, representing increases of 17, 16 and 20 points, respectively, from 2022.
In the 2022 PISA assessment, the Philippines ranked sixth from the bottom in reading and mathematics and third from the bottom in science among 81 participating countries and economies.
Meanwhile, the activity also featured the launch of the “Big Books on Circular Economy for Key Stage 1,” developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Iloilo Provincial Government.IMT
