IN July 2021, I wrote in my column at The Manila Times about 'The Elementary Truth About Our Basic Education.' I provided a comparison between the Philippines' basic education system and those of Finland, South Korea and the United Kingdom, all of which have top-notch systems. I thought my article would have helped call the attention of the powers that be to the learning crisis in the country. Perhaps, benchmark data are not enough.

Last month, I read with interest an article posted in the Diplomat on Feb. 22, 2023, by Raymond 'Mong' de Vera Palatino, former representative of the Kabataan Youth Party in the 14th and 15th Congress of the Philippines. The author quoted generously from a report made by the Department of Education (DepEd).