Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara on Tuesday announced that the Philippines’ performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 showed significant gains across all three areas: reading, mathematics and science.
The Philippines recorded a mean score of 373 in science, 371 in mathematics and 367 in reading-up by 17 points, 16 points and 20 points, respectively, from the country’s 2022 results.
Angara, who presented the results during the national results launch at Caloocan City Science High School, said that this achievement mark a notable step forward in the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to improve learning outcomes.
More Filipino learners also reached Level 2 or higher, the baseline proficiency level measured by PISA.
The proportion increased from 23 percent to 32 percent in science, from 16 percent to 21 percent in mathematics, and from 24 percent to 31 percent in reading.
From its mean score, the Philippines outranked 14 participating countries in science, 16 countries in mathematics, and 18 countries in reading.
‘This is a significant achievement for our learners and for the entire Philippine education system …But more than the numbers, we are seeing evidence that our learners are capable of making real and meaningful progress,’ Angara said.
Angara said the results should encourage the country to build on the gains while keeping its focus on learners who continue to struggle.
‘We should be proud of how far our learners and teachers have come, but we should be even more determined about how much farther we can go,’ Angara said.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 10-year trend analysis also shows that the Philippines is the fastest improving country in terms of reading performance.
The OECD, likewise, identified the Philippines among countries with notable improvement in mathematics. In science, the Philippines recorded a positive long-term trend despite an overall decline in science performance globally.
‘My warmest congratulations to the teachers and school leaders of the Philippines because 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,’ OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher said.
Angara said the gains from the PISA results reflect the collective work being done across the education system-from teachers and school leaders to parents, local governments and other partners.
The PISA presentation also highlighted the role of school readiness, parents, local government units and private sector partners in the country’s performance, underscoring that improving education is a shared responsibility.
OECD Policy Analyst Rodrigo Castañeda Valle also provided perspectives on the Philippine results and global education trends. Despite the encouraging results, DepEd said the latest PISA performance also highlights the work that remains.
The Department’s next priorities include addressing equity, while sustaining reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes and supporting teachers and schools. DepEd will also continue working with education partners to promote the responsible use of digital technology and address challenges such as cyberbullying and its effects on learning.
Angara said the country’s improved PISA performance should be seen as a starting point for an even more ambitious push to improve learning for every Filipino child.