MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) improved in 2025, with the country climbing out of the bottom 10 in the subjects covered.

The Philippines ranked 72nd out of 90 countries in reading, 74th out of 90 countries in mathematics, and 77th out of 91 countries in science, according to the 2025 PISA results released on Tuesday, September 8.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which conducts the test, found that Filipino students had average scores of 373 in science (up by 17 points from the previous PISA edition), 371 in mathematics (up by 16 points), and 367 in reading (up by 20 points).

The OECD described the Philippines as the “fastest improving country” in terms of reading performance.

The Department of Education (DepEd) noted that this is the Philippines’ “strongest PISA performance” to date since the country first joined the global assessment in 2018 and again in 2022, where it saw dismal results both times.

Although an improvement, it “should be seen as a starting point” and “highlights the work that remains,” added the DepEd.

“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,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a press release.

“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.”

In 2018, the Philippines was ranked lowest in reading, and second to the last in science and mathematics. Four years after that, the Philippines was still among the bottom 10.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education said the task now is to sustain the momentum, stressing that education reforms require “consistency of purpose, continuity in implementation, and the commitment of the entire country.”

According to the OECD, 64% or around two in three Filipino students were low performers in science, mathematics, and reading in 2025.

In the 2025 edition, the OECD also assessed students on “computational problem solving,” or the ability of students to solve problems using modeling or programming tools and practices such as “conducting experiments, analyzing data, and building and debugging computational artifacts.”

The Philippines scored 434, below the OECD average of 500.

Learning recovery

In a press conference after the announcement, Angara attributed the improved PISA performance to DepEd reforms, such as reducing the administrative work of teachers, improving curricula, and emphasizing remediation. 

Angara replaced Vice President Sara Duterte as education secretary in 2024. He inherited sectoral issues such as poor performance of Filipino students in global assessments, low literacy rates, and calls to either review or scrap the K to 12 program.

PISA 2025 was conducted in the early stages of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, the country’s national learning recovery initiative.

But by the end of school year 2025-2026, or after the first full-year implementation of the ARAL Program, around half of Filipino students were still not proficient in reading, according to the DepEd’s own literacy assessment.

Angara said the first year of ARAL, which focused on reading, was “very encouraging.” The DepEd is also preparing to roll out sessions for mathematics soon.

“It’s only the second year so let’s iterate, change the approach if we see things that need to be improved,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

However, under the current budget proposal, the ARAL Program may have zero funding in 2027. Asked whether the PISA results could make lawmakers rethink the DepEd budget, Angara replied, “Sana (I hope so).”

Extra preparations

After the poor performance in 2018 and 2022, the DepEd took extra measures to prepare for PISA 2025. (READ: Why Philippines’ 2025 PISA preparation is flawed)

According to the DepEd, around 8,000 15-year-old students from 208 schools in the Philippines took part in PISA 2025 through a computer-based assessment. Most of the participating schools were regular public schools, but there were also public science-oriented schools and private schools.

Angara said the DepEd made sure that public schools would have at least one computer, so as not to repeat the experience of participating students only encountering the technology for the first time during the test.

The private sector also helped in computerizing PISA-like tests to help students become familiar with the nature of the global assessment.

Education Undersecretary Malcolm Garma added that they made sure students would have good psychosocial well-being during the test, with parents and local officials also engaged.

However, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers warned the public against “an obsession with international rankings,” saying that “PISA’s framework reflects a westernized, colonial perspective on education that fails to capture local realities.”

Global top performers

The average scores among OECD countries for 2025 were 482 in science, 463 in mathematics, and 461 in reading.

Globally, the Chinese jurisdictions of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, along with Singapore, were the highest performers across science, mathematics, and reading in 2025. 

Also among the top 10 performing education systems in all three subjects were Estonia, Japan, Korea, Macau (China), Chinese Taipei, and the United Kingdom.

But while the Philippines had encouraging results, PISA 2025 recorded the lowest OECD-average performance observed so far in science, reading, and mathematics.

“PISA 2025 shows that reversing declines in student performance is urgent. The most successful education systems focus on fewer areas in greater depth, invest in teachers, engage parents, and provide targeted support for the students and schools that need it the most,” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said in a press release.

“Technology and AI can strengthen learning and help prepare young people for the future, but only when used purposefully and not as a substitute for attention, effort, and understanding.” – Rappler.com