LUNA, Apayao – The province has quietly secured its spot as the second most functionally literate among all provinces in the country, based on the latest Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) released by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM).
With a functional illiteracy rate of just 13%, Apayao trails only the province of Benguet which topped the list at 12%. The data paints a picture of steady, hard-won progress in places often left off the national radar.
In Apayao, where many learners still cross rivers or hike hours to reach a classroom, the numbers reflect more than academics they speak to persistence, policy, and the kind of quiet dedication that rarely gets front-page space.
FLEMMS defined functional illiteracy as the inability to apply basic reading, writing, and arithmetic in daily life. In the province’s geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, fighting illiteracy has meant tailored approaches such as localized teaching, support for Indigenous learners, and keeping teachers in far-flung barangays despite the odds.
However, the gaps remain stark nationally. Tawi-Tawi posted the highest functional illiteracy rate at 67%, underscoring the uneven access to quality education across regions.
But Apayao’s climb offers proof that progress is possible even in the most rugged corners of the country.
To the teachers who stayed, the school heads who improvised, and the local leaders who kept education a frontline priority: this is your win. It may not come with fanfare. By Jess Christley Marquez
