Legarda renews call to boost literacy and cultural pride among Filipino youth

Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for urgent, concrete action to raise literacy levels and instill cultural pride among young Filipinos, stressing that preparing the youth for global competitiveness begins with ensuring they can read, understand, and embrace their identity.

“Sa mga nakalipas na taon, kinaharap natin ang krisis sa mababang estado ng kakayahan ng ating kabataang bumasa at umintindi,” Legarda said during her the launch of Wikaharian 2, a collaborative project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI).

“Base sa naging resulta ng 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) at sa inilabas na pag-aaral ng World Bank noong 2024 kung saan 91% ng mga batang Pilipino na sampung taong gulang ay hindi marunong bumasa at umunawa ng isang maikling kuwento na akma sa kanilang edad,” Legarda emphasized.

To help address the challenge, the NCCA, with support from Legarda, partnered with KCFI to produce Wikaharian 2, an innovative educational video series designed to make learning Filipino language, culture, and values engaging and accessible for young learners.

Wikaharian 2, an animated series intended for Grade 2 students, is a continuation of the first 50 episodes of the Grade 2 Filipino series produced in 2022.

In 2020, KCFI and NCCA partnered to develop 80 short video lessons, each 8 to 10 minutes long, with corresponding session guides. These learning resources used local stories, culture, and Filipino contexts as the foundation for teaching beginning reading to Grade 1 learners.

A study by the KCFI in 2020 showed that the episodes significantly improved the learning not only of average learners, but also of at-risk readers or those who have high chances of failing academically.

“Hindi natin maikakaila ang krisis sa kakayahan ng kabataang bumasa at umunawa. Ngunit hindi rin natin isusuko ang kinabukasan ng ating kabataan. Kaya tayo naririto ngayon,” said Legarda, who ensured adequate funding for the production of Wikaharian.

“Ang bawat salita at kataga, bawat kwentong bayan, at mga piraso ng ating kultura at kasaysayan ay hindi lamang bahagi ng kanilang pagkatuto, ito ay magsisilbing pundasyon ng kanilang pagkatao bilang isang Pilipinong may alam, may dangal, may malasakit, may pagmamalaki, at may buong tapang na harapin ang mundong punong-puno ng hamon at pagbabago,” dagdag niya. (30)