Metrobank Foundation Inc. (MBFI) is strengthening its education initiatives to help address the country’s learning crisis, aligning its programs with the priority areas identified by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

The foundation said its interventions span foundational literacy and numeracy, learning resources, school facilities, teacher support and scholarship programs, all aimed at improving learning outcomes and expanding access to quality education.

To help strengthen foundational literacy, MBFI partnered with Binhi English Literacy Foundation Inc. in implementing an after-school remediation program for kindergarten and Grade 1 learners. The initiative produced significant gains, with kindergarten pupils improving by an average of 63.6 percent and Grade 1 learners by 53.3 percent, exceeding the program’s target range of 30 percent to 50 percent. Learners also improved in letter recognition, phonics, spelling and early writing skills.

The foundation has also focused on improving numeracy through the Metrobank Foundation SOLUTION (Support for Optimal Learning and Understanding To Improve Overall Numeracy) program. Piloted at San Miguel Heights Elementary School in Valenzuela, the initiative recorded a 26-percent average increase in numeracy scores, while 95.4 percent of participating students showed improvement. The program also helped reduce math anxiety among 64.2 percent of learners.