We extend our warmest congratulations to the Department of Education, as well as the students, teachers, and school communities who participated in PISA 2025, for the significant rise in the Philippines’ performance across Science, Mathematics, and Reading. A notable highlight of this accomplishment is that the Philippines emerged as the country with the fastest improvement in reading skills worldwide. By rising out of PISA’s bottom ten and achieving a substantial 16-to-20-point increase across all assessed subjects, our students have proven that improvement is possible. While our students are yet to reach PISA’s Level 2 for the subjects, their recent performance provides empirical proof that our collective efforts to support Filipino learners have truly borne fruit, affirming that improvement in PISA is attainable despite the multifaceted challenges facing our education system.
Moving forward, let us not miss the significant benefit of joining in PISA. We must rigorously analyze PISA data to inform targeted initiatives and policies that will further elevate education quality. Let us mine PISA data to better prepare our students not just for international assessments, but for the practical demands of life. A more granular assessment of the PISA results will allow us to thoughtfully and strategically bridge the performance divide driven by socioeconomic status. Specifically, research and policy should support the design of interventions that will uplift low performers and “academically resilient” students—those disadvantaged youth who still managed to perform well in PISA.
Ultimately, every resource and effort we dedicate to improving PISA outcomes directly contributes to our loftier goal of developing critical, productive, and empowered Filipino citizens. Research evidence and data-driven policies must remain the foundation of our next steps in sustaining initiatives that work while exploring innovative strategies to strengthen instructional support. ACTRC commits to supporting and collaborating with the Department of Education and various stakeholders in ensuring Filipino students’ continuous improvement in both local and international assessments for years to come.