EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara announced a major milestone for basic education on Tuesday, September 8, revealing that Filipino students achieved their highest-ever scores in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025.
Speaking at the national results launch at Caloocan City Science High School, Angara reported substantial gains across all tested subjects.
The country recorded mean scores of 373 in science, 371 in mathematics, and 367 in reading—marking gains of 17, 16, and 20 points, respectively, compared to the 2022 assessment cycle.
Based on its mean performance, the Philippines surpassed 14 participating nations in science, 16 in mathematics, and 18 in reading.
Student proficiency also saw a notable shift, with the proportion of learners reaching the baseline Level 2 standard rising to 32 percent in science, 21 percent in mathematics, and 31 percent in reading.
A 10-year trend analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recognized the Philippines as the world’s fastest-improving country in reading performance.
The OECD also highlighted the country’s progress in mathematics and noted a positive long-term trajectory in science, defying a broader global decline in science scores.
“What you have achieved in this latest round of OECD’s PISA assessment is not just good news for the Philippines, it’s a story that deserves to be noticed far beyond your borders,” said OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher.
Angara credited the progress to the shared efforts of teachers, school leaders, parents, local governments, and private sector partners.
However, the Department of Education (DepEd) emphasized that substantial work lies ahead.
DepEd’s upcoming priorities will focus on addressing educational equity, supporting teachers, sustaining curriculum reforms, and mitigating challenges like cyberbullying to ensure safe digital learning environments.
Calling the results an encouraging benchmark rather than a final goal, Angara urged educators to build on these momentum-driven gains to improve learning outcomes for every Filipino child nationwide.
