‘Cebu faces education crisis,’ governor admits
Capitol orders creation of education secretariat
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Alarmed over low literacy levels among young learners, which she linked to malnutrition, Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has ordered the creation of a province-wide education secretariat.
Executive Order No. 19, Series of 2026 establishes the Cebu Provincial Education Secretariat (PEdS) as the central body to plan, coordinate, and implement education programs across the province.
READ: Many elementary pupils in Cebu cities still struggle to read – data
This comes on the heels of recent findings that nearly half of early-grade pupils in Cebu struggle to read and comprehend basic texts.
She calls the situation an “education crisis” that requires urgent, institutional reform.
‘No food, no learning’
Baricuatro said these learning deficits are closely tied to child malnutrition, which requires a more coordinated, local government-driven response that integrates education with health and social services.
“Wala gyud ko na surprise ana nga report considering nga taas ang malnutrition rate sa province,” she said on Wednesday.
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(That report does not surprise me considering that the province has a high malnutrition rate.)
“Kani nga literacy rate nato, this is a by-product of malnutrition… kung bata dili makat-on kay walay kaon, maapektuhan ang ilang pag-eskwela.”
(Our literacy rate stems from malnutrition… If a child does not eat, this affects her or his schooling.)
A response to a widening gap
Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EdCom II) showed that around five out of 10 early-grade learners in key Cebu cities are “struggling readers,” or those unable to read or understand simple paragraphs.
The Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA), which covered over 263,000 learners from Grades 1 to 3 at the start of School Year 2025–2026, found particularly high rates in urban areas such as Talisay City (52.99 percent) and Cebu City (46.85 percent).
Across Cebu province, nearly four in 10 learners fall under the same category.
Making education governance permanent
Baricuatro, meanwhile, said her creation of the education secretariat aims to address fragmentation in local education efforts, strengthening governance at the provincial and municipal levels.
“I agree with the education committee nga kinahanglan ta og education secretariat… unta matag LGU naa siyay education office,” she said.
(We need an education secretariat. Hopefully, each local government unit will have an education office.)
She added that she hopes the province will back the measure with an ordinance to make it permanent.
Under the executive order, the PEdS will serve as the technical and administrative arm of the Cebu Provincial School Board. At the same time, it will oversee key areas such as early childhood development, literacy and numeracy programs, scholarship initiatives, and lifelong learning.
It will also manage and monitor the use of the Special Education Fund (SEF), ensuring compliance with national guidelines and aligning spending with evidence-based interventions.
Whole-of-government approach
The new body also has the ask of coordinating efforts among national agencies. These include the Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Commission on Higher Education. The office, moreover, will coordinate with local government units, civil society groups, and private sector partners.
A mandate to integrate education with nutrition and health programs counts among the secretariat’s key features. The approach aligns with EdCom II’s findings that learning poverty often begins before a child enters school.
The commission has emphasized the importance of interventions during the “first 1,000 days” of a child’s life, when brain development is most critical.
Legislative backing sought
While the executive order takes immediate effect, Baricuatro urges the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass an ordinance that will institutionalize the education office as a permanent structure within the provincial government.
This would secure funding for its operations and ensure continuity of its programs beyond the current administration.
Within 90 days, the secretariat, per the order, must establish its internal systems and draft a Provincial Education Development Plan. Furthermore, it must roll out a data-driven monitoring framework to track learning outcomes.
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