The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has welcomed the country’s improved performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), saying the results show that sustained education reforms can translate into better learning outcomes.

The Philippines posted gains of 16 to 20 points in reading, mathematics and science, with reading recording a 20-point increase. The improvement is equivalent to about one year of formal schooling based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development benchmarks.

PCCI President Perry Ferrer congratulated Education Secretary Sonny Angara and the Department of Education (DepEd) team, crediting focused reforms and evidence-based interventions for the progress.

“These results show that focused reforms, sustained commitment, and evidence-based interventions can lead to real improvements in learning outcomes for Filipino students,” Ferrer said.

PCCI attributed the gains partly to DepEd initiatives such as curriculum enhancements, targeted remediation programs and the PISA 2025 Task Force.

The business group, however, said the government should complement PISA results with other measures that determine whether students are gaining skills needed for employment, lifelong learning and active citizenship.

Ferrer also called for continued implementation of the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM II, which he described as a roadmap for addressing persistent problems in the education sector.

“The positive results are encouraging; they strengthen our resolve to pursue the policy reforms that remain urgently needed,” Ferrer said.

PCCI also stressed the need for stronger coordination across the country’s trifocalized education system, linking basic education with technical-vocational and higher education.

“As the voice of Philippine business, we believe strengthening basic education is essential and must be complemented by better alignment across the entire education continuum,” Ferrer said.