Pasay City emerged as the leader in basic literacy while San Juan City claimed the highest functional literacy rate among highly urbanized cities in the Philippines, according to the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Basic literacy refers to the ability to read, write, and perform basic math operations. Functional literacy goes further, including reading comprehension, writing, computing, and analytical understanding.
Pasay recorded a basic literacy rate of 96.2%, meaning 96 out of 100 individuals aged five and above can read, write, and compute. It was closely followed by Cagayan de Oro (96.1%), San Juan and Pasig (95.5%), and Mandaue (95.2%).
San Juan led in functional literacy with 94.5%, indicating that nearly all residents aged 10 to 64 can read, write, calculate, and understand written content. Baguio (89.8%), Pasig (89.1%), Pateros (88.1%), and Makati (87.3%) rounded out the top five.
Among provinces, Apayao ranked highest in basic literacy at 95.2%, while Benguet led in functional literacy with 87.9%. Romblon, Nueva Ecija, Bohol, and Rizal also scored high in basic literacy, while Rizal, Romblon, Batangas, and Siquijor followed Benguet in functional literacy.
On the other hand, Tawi-Tawi, Davao Occidental, Basilan, Northern Samar, and Sarangani reported the highest illiteracy rates, highlighting the persistent regional disparities.
FLEMMS, conducted every five years since 1989, collected data from September to October 2024, assessing literacy among Filipinos aged 5 and above.