IMUS, Cavite - The literacy rate of Cavite remained the highest in the country even as more than half of the population of this province continues to live in poverty, officials disclosed yesterday.
Cavite is also one of the provinces with the highest employment rates, based on records of the National Statistics Office (NSO).
A report released by Governor Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr. said that Cavite has a functional literacy rate of 96.52%, which is the highest among the provinces in the country.
Functionally literate persons are those who can read, write and comprehend or have at least completed high school or higher level of education. With Cavite's rate, there are only 3.48% individuals in the province who cannot read, write or comprehend or did not undergo proper schooling.
NSO Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta said that based on records, the National Capital Region (NCR) or the Metro Manila area has the highest functional literacy rate at 94 percent, followed by Region IV-A or the Cavite- Laguna- Batangas- Rizal- Quezon (Calabarazon) with 93.5 percent and Central Luzon 92.1 percent.
With 96.52%, Cavite virtually stands as the province with the highest literacy rate. Cavite is the country's most densely-populated province with over three million people living in the area, based on latest national and provincial census surveys.
Filipina V. Samson, Provincial Population Development (PopDev) Office chief, said that Cavite's population comprised 1.2 million natives or long-time residents and 1.8 million migrants or individuals from Metro Manila and elsewhere who resettled in the province.
Samson, citing records, said that 60 percent of the total population of Cavite is living on or below the poverty line while 40 percent can be considered either average or well-off.
In an interview, Samson said that the high literacy rate in Cavite can be attributed to free education rendered at the province's public schools and state colleges and universities.
Girlie Garcia, Cavite Planning and Development Office (PPDO) project evaluation officer, reported that there are about 1,700 public and private schools or learning institutions in the whole province.
