The Province of Iloilo continues to strengthen its education reform initiatives by placing accountability at the core of its Bulig Eskwela sa Pagbasa (BES Basa) Program, as highlighted during the BES Basa Orientation held on October 29, 2025.
Facilitated by the Iloilo Provincial Education Core Group (EDCORE), the activity oriented existing BES Basa implementers and welcomed additional local government units (LGUs) to the program’s second-year rollout.
Municipal mayors, Sangguniang Bayan Members, Local School Board members, and officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) participated in the session, underscoring the growing local movement to ensure that every child in Iloilo learns to read.
3rd District Board Member Jason Gonzales, who chairs the Committee on Education of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, emphasized that the key to the program’s success lies in local leadership and accountability.
“The heart of the program is accountability. We wanted to create an accountability mechanism. If the mayor owns the responsibility, change happens,” Gonzales said.
It means mayors and local government units take ownership of the reading program in their respective towns. They ensure that teachers are well-trained, children are learning to read, and progress is regularly monitored.
Provincial Administrator Dr. Raul N. Banias presented the milestones of the Proof of Concept (POC) that served as the foundation of the BES Basa Program. He reported that through the POC, teachers were capacitated to teach reading effectively leading to remarkable gains in literacy.
“We implemented the POC to capacitate teachers as reading teachers. After one year and post-assessment, Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) confirmed that nine out of ten learners are now able to read,” Banias said. “We focus on reading in the belief that if a child can read, learning will be easier.”
He added that Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. envisions expanding the program to all 43 municipalities and component city of Iloilo, urging mayors to take ownership of the initiative.
“If we can make children able to read, we will be addressing the MoRProGRes vision and the social justice agenda,” Banias noted.
The BES Basa Program is Iloilo’s localized reading initiative that evolved from the POC on the devolution of basic education services. It aims to make all learners proficient readers through three key pillars: accountability, support, and sustainability.
Key interventions include the training of teachers in teaching reading, provision of structured instructional materials and worksheets, and conduct of pre- and post-assessment activities.
The 2024–2025 school year yielded encouraging results, with nine out of ten learners now able to read and five out of ten reading at grade level across the pilot areas.
Building on this success, Leganes, Alimodian, Tigbauan, Igbaras, Ajuy, and Bingawan are joining the initiative alongside the pilot LGUs of Oton, San Miguel, Janiuay, Lambunao, Dingle, and Carles, demonstrating a widening circle of accountability for children’s learning.
The orientation also set the stage for the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Iloilo Provincial Government and partner LGUs to formalize their shared commitment to literacy development.
The activity concluded with a commitment signing among participants, symbolizing their collective pledge to sustain the program’s goals.
Through BES Basa, the Iloilo Provincial Government continues to advance effective, relevant, and transformative education, aligning with Governor Defensor’s MoRProGRes Iloilo vision of a robust, progressive, globally competitive, and resilient province.
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