The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) issued on 04 October 2019 a clearance to conduct the 2019 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS).

The FLEMMS is conducted to provide a quantitative framework that will serve as basis in the formulation of policies and programs on the improvement of literacy and education status of the population. Specifically, it aims to:

• estimate the proportion of the population 10 years old and over who are basically literate, i.e. those who can read, write, and understand a simple message in any language or dialect;
• estimate the proportion of the population 10 to 64 years old who are functionally literate, i.e. those who can read, write, compute and comprehend, and to determine their socio-economic characteristics;
• determine the educational skill qualifications of the population in terms of formal schooling; and
• determine the mass media exposure of the population.

Major data items to be collected from the survey include demographic characteristics, basic and functional literacy, education, employment characteristics, housing characteristics and exposure to mass media.

The FLEMMS will cover 45,000 sample households (consisting of 144,000 sample individuals) drawn from the 2013 Master Sample Frame (MSF) to be conducted from October to December 2019. The estimated cost of the survey is PhP 61.8 million, which will cover printing services, maintenance and other operating expenses.

Meanwhile, key results of the 2013 FLEMMS showed the following:

• Out of 74 million Filipinos aged 10 years old and over, 96.5 percent were basically literate. The proportion of basically literate females was higher at 97.0 percent than their male counterparts which posted 96.1% percent.
• Among regions, the National Capital Region (NCR) posted the highest basic literacy rate at 99.5 percent. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the lowest basic literacy rate at 86.1 percent.
• About 90.3 percent of the Filipinos were functionally literate. The proportion of functionally literate females was higher at 92.0 percent than their male counterparts which was estimated at 88.7 percent.
• About 59.5 percent of the Filipinos with ages of 10 to 64 years old who had reached high school level but did not complete it are functionally literate. By comparison, 48.6 percent of elementary graduates are functionally literate while around 40.0 percent of the Filipinos with some elementary education are functionally literate. Only around 0.8 percent among those with no formal education are functionally literate.
• Majority of Filipinos with ages of 10 to 64 years old were exposed to television which posted 81.0 percent. Followed by the exposure to radio, newspaper, and magazine which posted 65.5 percent, 60.7 percent, and 60.6 percent, respectively.
• About 83.0 percent of females with ages of 10 to 64 years old watched television compared to 79.1 percent of males.

The PSA reviewed and issued clearance to conduct the 2019 FLEMMS under the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS), a mechanism being implemented by the PSA by virtue of Rule 28 of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No.10625 to:

• ensure sound design for data collection;
• minimize the burden placed upon respondents;
• effect economy in statistical data collection;
• eliminate unnecessary duplication of statistical data collection efforts; and
• achieve better coordination of government statistical activities.

In line with this, the public is enjoined to support the said statistical activity.

For further information on SSRCS, please contact the Statistical Standards Division (SSD) of the Standards Service (SS) through telephone numbers
(02) 8376-1928 and (02) 8376-1931, and email address: ssd.staff@psa.gov.ph or ssdss.staff@gmail.com.

CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, Ph.D.
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General

See more at the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS) landing page.