Tawi-Tawi and several other Mindanao provinces recorded the highest rates of struggling readers at the start of the 2025–2026 school year, according to the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

In Tawi-Tawi, 75.6% of students were unable to read proficiently, the highest in the country. Maguindanao del Norte followed with 65.38%, and the Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato recorded 64.49%.

Tawi-Tawi also posted a stunting prevalence of 16.96%, ranking second nationwide, which experts say is significantly affecting children’s reading abilities.

Other Mindanao areas with high percentages of struggling readers included Zamboanga City (60.72%), Sarangani (60.57%), Sulu (59.63%), Maguindanao del Sur (58.46%), Lamitan City in Basilan (57.77%), Basilan province (57.59%), and Davao Occidental (57.17%).

EDCOM 2 data show that nearly half of the top 50 areas nationwide with the highest prevalence of struggling readers are in Mindanao, with 15 provinces and eight cities from the southern region dominating the list.

The findings underscore long-standing literacy and nutrition challenges in Mindanao, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address both educational and health-related barriers.