ILOILO CITY — Iloilo has witnessed an inspiring transformation in education, as 98 percent of Grade 3 students across 12 pilot local government units (LGUs) now read at grade level, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. announced at the 2026 W. SyCip National Education Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center.

This achievement is a dramatic leap from the starting point, when just 28 percent—or roughly three out of every ten students—were reading at grade level before the intervention began.

Much of this literacy surge is attributed to the Proof of Concept (POC) model, a collaborative effort with the Synergeia Foundation that empowered local governments to take a more active role in education.

The 12 pilot LGUs under the POC program include Barotac Viejo, Batad, Cabatuan, Guimbal, Igbaras, Leganes, Lemery, Maasin, Mina, Pavia, Sara, and Iloilo City.

With the POC framework, the province launched participatory needs assessments, rolled out LGU-led reading programs, ensured every teacher and student had their own learning materials, and established a monitoring system that connected classrooms to the capitol. Mayors were inspired to champion literacy as a central development goal, channeling local resources to strengthen Department of Education initiatives and bridge learning gaps. treat education as a core responsibility and function, notwithstanding that it is not a devolved function,” Defensor said. He also highlighted the province’s flagship reform program, Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES Probins), which focuses on closing literacy gaps, strengthening school infrastructure, and improving student outcomes through robust LGU participation.

The province’s success story has captured national interest. At the summit, Senator Bam Aquino expressed his intent to invite Governor Defensor as a resource person in a Senate hearing, aiming to explore how this initiative could inspire similar efforts across the country.