ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Provincial Government is stepping up its campaign to close literacy gaps by placing local chief executives at the center of its reading reform program.

The province signed a memorandum of agreement with municipal mayors to expand the BES Basa program—a localized adaptation of a reading model developed by the Synergeia Foundation in partnership with the Department of Education.

The initiative, part of Governor Arthur Defensor Jr.’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES Probins), targets early-grade learners and seeks to address persistent challenges in reading proficiency. Provincial officials, however, emphasize that improving literacy goes beyond classroom instruction, calling for stronger accountability and wider community participation.

Provincial Administrator Raul Banias underscored the role of mayors in driving the program, stressing the need for coordinated action among teachers, parents, local school boards, and the private sector.

“Reading is not entirely a problem of DepEd. It is our problem. Everybody should be involved,” he said.

The BES Basa model integrates teacher training, distribution of learning materials, and regular student assessments to track progress. First implemented in selected municipalities in 2024, the program has reported significant gains, with Grade 3 reading proficiency rising from 30 percent to 90 percent within a year.

Following these initial results, additional municipalities—including Banate, Estancia, Ajuy, Bingawan, Badiangan, San Dionisio, Alimodian, Santa Barbara, and Tigbauan—have expressed intent to adopt the program.

The agreement signing, held at Casa Real de Iloilo, brought together provincial and education officials, including Schools Division OIC Superintendent Ruby Therese Almencion, who commended the province’s leadership in addressing learning gaps.