By Estanislao Albano, Jr.
The pathetic absurdity already has a precedent. For more than two decades now, thanks to the DepEd officials who plotted to introduce mass promotion to the country’s education system, learners could pass the Mathematics subject multiple times even if unable to perform the basic Mathematical operations. Based on the admission of Undersecretary Gonong earlier cited that there are non-readers and non-numerates in Grades 7-10 and the following BERF action researches, a learner could pass the Mathematics subject from Grade 1 to Grade 9 although unable to add:
a. “Enhancing Numeracy Skills on Four Fundamental Operations Among Grade 10 Non-numerates Using Video Presentations, Interactive Games, Enhancement Activities, and Window Card (V.I.E.W.) Program,” BERF FY 2020, DepEd-Region 8 Regional Memorandum No. (unreadable), s. 2021 dated November 22, 2021)
b. “EdTech MathHUSAY: Improving Numeracy Skills of Grade 7 Non-numerates in District of
Silago” (BERF FY 2022, DepEd-Region 8 Regional Memorandum PRRD-2023-1297)
c. “Peer Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS): An Intervention to Enhance the Numeracy Skills of Non-numerate Learners in Grade 10 at the Matarinao School of Fisheries SY 2022-2023” (BERF FY 2023, DepEd-Region 8 Regional Memorandum No. 324, s. 2023)
d. “Zeroing-out Grade 9 Non-numerates through Project Entice (Elevating Numeracy Skills Through Initiated Class Effort” at the Himbangan National High School, Southern Leyte (BERF FY 2023, DepEd-Region 8 Regional Memorandum No. 324, s. 2023)
e. “Game-based Learning Activity: An Intervention to Enhance the Numeracy Skills of Grade 8 Non-numerates of the Matarinao School of Fisheries” (BERF FY 2024, DepEd-Region 8 Regional Memorandum PPRD-2024-83)
f. “Mathematics Intervention Program to Grade 7 and 8 Non-numerates of Esperanza National High School–Annex, San Jose Campus” (FY 2022 BERF, DepEd-Region 12, Regional Memorandum PPRD No. 18, s. 2022)
g. “Multimodal Interactive Activity in Improving the Performance of Grade 7 Non-Numerate
Learners in Fundamental Operations of Integers” (FY 2024 BERF, DepEd-Tarlac Province Division Memorandum No. 187, s. 2024)
What would take the cake, however, is if you being a co-author of Republic Act No. 10533 would allow these insane and pernicious practices of the DepEd to persist during your watch, or worse, survive your watch, despite their obvious devastating impact on basic education quality and on the intent of the law to make Philippine education globally competitive. It is no secret to the DepEd and to the country that the quality of education. deteriorated markedly during the implementation of the K to 12 Curriculum thanks to the agency’s irrational and suicidal attachment to the mass promotion practice.
Finally, since the DepEd does not seem to be aware of it, the undersigned would like to call your office’s attention to the fact that certifying non-readers and frustration level readers eligible for graduation from the elementary is a criminal and administrative offense. It is difficult to understand that the DepEd does not realize this when it is so elementary and it has a lot of lawyers in its employ.
Per DepEd Order No. 7, s. 2016, the elementary graduation certificate declares the candidate “has satisfactorily completed all the requirements of the Elementary Curriculum as prescribed by the Department of Education” and as already stated, under the curriculum, learners are supposed to be reading in English with comprehension by Grade 3.
The signatories of the graduation certificate namely the school head and schools division superintendents cannot claim they are unaware that the candidates for graduation are non-readers
because they have access to the results of the Phil-IRI. Class reading profiles are submitted to the school head for consolidation. On the other hand, the school reading profile which is submitted to the schools division for consolidation contain the number of students at each reading level including the number of identified non-readers.
Even granting that the Phil-IRI is not being conducted, it is very easy for the school head and the schools division superintendent to check on the literacy status of all candidates for elementary graduation if they want to.
A retired journalist and a quality basic education advocate, the undersigned has been writing letters to the editor on the learning crisis most of which point to the DepEd as the culprit in national newspapers since 2019. Two of his latest letters published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer were the following: “DepEd Order No. 45: The acid test of Angara’s intent to stop mass promotion” (May 16, 2025); and “Teachers call on DepEd to restore ‘No Read, No Move Policy’” (June 25, 2025). His resume is attached. **
