The reading culture in the Philippines is defined by a unique set of challenges—yet, this doesn't mean that the Filipino way of storytelling is any less valid
There seems to be a general consensus among the literati in the Philippines and it's that: Filipinos, as a general population, don't seem to be very interested in reading. This may come as a shock to some, especially for the avid bookworms—and there are plenty—who flock to bookstores and spend un-regrettably high amounts of money just to find something to read. But statistics don't lie: Filipinos have the lowest reading comprehension among 79 countries (2019) with nearly four million youth (2017) out of school. Many are still considered illiterate: around 1 million pre-literate and 6 million illiterate, most of whom come from indigenous communities or those living below the poverty line.
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Why aren't we reading?
Plenty of factors contribute to this crisis in our literary scene. Perhaps one of the biggest is cost. Sadly, reading in the Philippines is an expensive hobby. Libraries are not as widely accessible as they are in other countries. Not only that, but close to 20 per cent of people in the Philippines also live below the poverty line, which means that around 17 million people have difficulty accessing basic necessities, much less books. In a 2017 survey commissioned by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), most Filipinos said they are only willing to spend around PHP199 or less on a printed book—a far cry from the current prices of the humble paperback, which can cost upwards of PHP500.
But cost isn't the only barrier to reading. Another such hindrance is our language. The Philippines is a rich and diverse country with multiple major languages that include Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Ilokano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, and Waray. In 2013, the Department of Education (DepEd) even began instructing schools to teach students in local languages, with the belief that "learners learn best when teachers use the mother tongue". Yet, very noticeably, most books, even by Filipino authors, are written in English, with less books being translated into either of the major Filipino languages.