Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) president Chito Salazar called on President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to prioritize investing in people as a means to address the country’s education crisis.
Salazar emphasized that ensuring every child is born free from malnourishment, hunger, and stunting, and that they acquire fundamental reading and learning abilities should be at the forefront of the nation’s agenda.
While infrastructure projects like roads, ports, bridges, and airports are notable achievements for administrations, solving the education predicament requires a long-term commitment.
“I do not diminish the significance of infrastructure, but the ultimate solution lies in investing in our people – in their education and nutrition,” Salazar said in a pre-SONA briefing at the Shangri-La at The Fort.
Salazar said pressing issues continue to plague the education system, including a high percentage of stunted Filipino children under 5 years old, a significant shortage of classrooms, limited access to textbooks and learning materials, and inadequate access to computers and Wi-Fi for Filipino students compared to other East and Southeast Asian nations.
One of the main challenges identified by PBEd is the system of mass promotion, where students advance to the next level without mastering crucial concepts from the previous level, leading to alarming statistics.
For instance, 91% of Filipino 10-year-olds struggle to read and comprehend simple sentences despite almost 13 years of schooling, with their actual learning equivalent to merely about six years of education.
