Manila, June 9 -- The Department of Education in the Negros Island Region (DepEd-NIR) will prioritize literacy and numeracy in public schools to improve learners' ability to read and write, an official said on Monday.

Dr. Ramir Uytico, DepEd-NIR director, said that beyond the regular preparation for a seamless opening of classes for the school year 2025-2026, this year's "Brigada Eskwela" highlights the need for students and teachers to tackle widespread illiteracy.

In an interview after leading the joint DepEd-NIR and DepEd Negros Oriental kickoff of the "Brigada Eskwela" at the Amlan National High School in Amlan, Negros Oriental, Uytico noted that the literacy and numeracy performance of learners in the Philippines is "ranked at the ...