Current - Issue

Republic Act 7743 mandates the establishment of reading centers in every barangay to promote literacy and provide access to educational resources. However, despite the enactment of this law, problems in implementation and a lack of public awareness persist. To address these issues in Ligao City, this study sought to support the implementation of Republic Act No. 7743 by assessing the current status of barangay reading centers across its 55 barangays. It assesses the barangay officials’ perceptions of effectiveness in promoting literacy and education, as well as the challenges they encounter. The findings aimed to support the development of policies that strategically establish reading centers within Ligao City’s key political units: Mayon, Central, Upland, and Coastal. The study employed a descriptive-correlational design to examine the relationship between the status of barangay reading centers, their effectiveness in promoting literacy and education, and the challenges they face. Findings showed that both the status of the centers and the challenges encountered are significantly related to their effectiveness. Conducted across 55 barangays in Ligao City, the study selected barangay captains as respondents due to their roles as chief executives and primary decision-makers in their respective communities. The findings showed that barangay reading centers in Ligao City is not adequate with an overall weighted mean of 1.65, with personnel rated not adequate with a weighted mean of 1.55, resources also is not adequate with a weighted mean of 1.43, and infrastructure slightly inadequate with an average weighted mean of 1.97. Barangay officials perceive the effectiveness of barangay reading centers in promoting literacy and education as slightly effective, with an average weighted mean of 2.42. Barangay officials in Ligao City face significant challenges in managing the reading centers, with an overall weighted mean of 2.32, interpreted as slightly challenged. There is a significant relationship between the status of barangay reading centers and their effectiveness in promoting literacy and education, as shown by personnel with a low but significant correlation (r=0.348,p=0.009), and resources (r=0.801,p=0.000) and infrastructure (r=0.861,p=0.000) both showing high and significant correlations. There is a significant relationship between the challenges faced by barangay reading centers and their perceived effectiveness in promoting literacy and education, as indicated by a very high correlation (r=0.957, p=0.000), showing that the greater the challenges encountered, the lower their perceived effectiveness. An action plan was designed to enhance the service delivery and support the strategic establishment of barangay reading centers in Ligao City. In conclusion, the effectiveness of barangay reading centers in promoting literacy is closely tied to the status of their personnel, resources, and infrastructure. The challenges they encounter are strongly associated with reduced effectiveness, showing that the more challenges the centers face, the less impact they have. To address these problems, an action plan has been developed to strengthen service delivery and to support the systematic establishment of barangay reading centers in Ligao City through policy development.