Provinces and highly urbanized cities with high stunting rates among children below five years old also suffer from low literacy rates, Senator Win Gatchalian flagged.
He raised this concern during a hearing on the results of the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), which also revealed that 18.96 million Filipinos remain functionally illiterate. The Year 2 report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) earlier noted that one in four Filipino children under 5 years old experiences stunting.
To address the twin challenges of stunting and illiteracy, Gatchalian urged the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the National Nutrition Council to ensure that targeted nutrition interventions complement early childhood and basic education literacy programs.
“Nutrition and literacy are closely correlated. One way to break the cycle of illiteracy is to make sure that our children receive proper nourishment. When children get the proper nutrition they need, they study better, learn better, and become functionally literate,” Gatchalian said.
He also reiterated the need to establish local literacy councils in local government units to combat illiteracy.
Gatchalian: Mababang literacy rate iniuugnay sa stunting
Pinuna ni Senador Win Gatchalian na ang mga lalawigan at highly urbanized na mga lungsod na may mataas na kaso ng stunting, o pagkaantala sa paglaki, ng mga batang wala pang limang taong gulang ay nakakaranas din ng mababang antas ng literacy.
Binigyang diin ito ni Gatchalian sa isang pagdinig kasunod ng resulta ng 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), kung saan lumabas na 18.96 milyong mga Pilipino ay nananatiling functionally illiterate. Nauna nang inilabas ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) ang Year 2 report nito na nagsasabing isa sa apat na batang wala pang limang taong gulang ay nakakaranas ng stunting.
Upang matugunan ang mga hamong dala ng pagkaantala sa paglaki at kakulangan sa kaalaman sa pagbasa at pagsulat, hinimok ni Gatchalian ang Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, at National Nutrition Council na tiyaking ang mga nakatuong tulong o intervention na pang-nutrisyon ay kaakibat ng ‘early childhood and basic education literacy programs.’
“Magkaugnay ang nutrisyon at illiteracy. Isa sa mga paraan para masugpo ang illiteracy sa ating bansa ay tiyaking natatanggap ng mga bata ang sapat na nutrisyon. Kung natatanggap nila ang wasto at sapat na nutrisyong kinakailangan nila, makakapag-aral sila ng mabuti, mas matututo sila, at magiging functionally literate,” ani Gatchalian,
Binigyang diin muli ng mambabatas ang pangangailangan para sa mga local literacy councils sa mga local government units upang malabanan ang illiteracy rate sa bansa.
