Nearly 18.96 million Filipino junior and senior high school completers cannot read and understand a simple story in 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The data was presented during the Senate education panel's hearing chaired by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday, 30 April. The PSA revealed that 79 percent of senior high school graduates are functionally literate, while 21 percent are considered illiterate despite graduating high school.

"If you look at the 2024 figure, there are 18 million students detected by the PSA who are senior and junior high school graduates but are not functionally literate," Gatchalian said. "This means they graduated from our basic education system but cannot comprehend a simple story."

The PSA defines functional literacy as the ability to read, write, compute, and comprehend. Basic literacy refers to being able to read and write with understanding and perform basic arithmetic.

This issue is concerning for Gatchalian, who believes it could have long-term effects on both students and the nation. "As long as there’s someone who cannot read and write in our country, poverty will continue," he added.

Additionally, 5.8 percent of Filipinos are considered basic illiterates, unable to read and write.