Manila: The Philippines has achieved its strongest performance to date in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), surpassing several participating countries in the 2025 results, according to the Department of Education (DepEd). This marks a significant improvement since the country's initial participation in 2018.
According to Philippines News Agency, PISA is a global assessment conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in over 90 countries, evaluating the competencies of 15-year-old students in Reading, Math, and Science. In 2025, 8,072 Filipino students from 208 schools took part in the assessment.
During a presentation at Caloocan City Science High School, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara attributed the improved performance to education reforms and remediation measures, which have spurred positive trends. Angara highlighted the country's progress, noting that the Philippines advanced in all domains-Science, Reading, and Math-since being ranked last in 2018.
The results align with the government's goals to enhance basic education by concentrating on foundational skills, as emphasized by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Angara reiterated the President's directive to focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic, which has been reflected in the country's PISA performance.
The Philippines' most notable improvement was in Reading, where it outperformed 18 countries previously ranked higher, including El Salvador, Kyrgyzstan, and Indonesia, among others. OECD Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, praised the Philippines' progress, stating that no country has improved its reading skills faster than the Philippines since the assessment in 2022.
In 2025, the country increased its Reading score by 20 points, reaching 367 from 347 in 2022. Similarly, Science and Mathematics scores improved by 17 and 16 points, respectively. The Philippines outshone 16 countries in Mathematics and 14 countries in Science.
The OECD acknowledged the Philippines' advancement, describing the country's educational system as moving in the right direction. Schleicher highlighted research from Stanford University, which estimates a significant economic impact if Filipino students achieve at least the PISA baseline Level 2 proficiency.
The proportion of Filipino learners reaching Level 2 or higher has grown, with increases in Science, Mathematics, and Reading. Secretary Angara also mentioned efforts to provide teachers with more time to teach by reducing administrative burdens and enhancing the curriculum.
DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma commended the collaborative efforts of private partners and stakeholders, emphasizing the community's role in the 2025 PISA preparation. The agency also focused on students' emotional and psychosocial well-being and familiarized them with the PISA environment.
Looking ahead, DepEd remains hopeful about maintaining PISA gains and securing government funding for critical programs, such as remediation under ARAL and ensuring school safety.
