Despite being known as a country where English is supposedly a second language, the Commission on Higher Education has recently identified English communication as the country’s weakest skill, underscoring the need to strengthen competencies among students, professionals, and government workers.
“Our weakest skill is soft skill, English communication. Your role is very valuable,” CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis recalled telling Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent state visit to Cambodia.
“Let us develop and implement a micro-credential program in purposive communication, strengthening the competencies of students, professionals, and government communicators in ethical, transparent, and purposeful communication,” Agrupis added.
At a recent higher education summit, Agrupis also stressed that higher education should not only produce graduates but also prepare a workforce aligned with national and regional priorities.
She acknowledged that while Philippine higher education has advanced through reforms and innovations, persistent challenges remain. These include funding gaps, fragmented data, inequities in access and curricula that often lag behind the demands of a rapidly changing economy.
She also admitted that CHED faces challenges, including slow policy implementation, outdated systems, and inconsistent data, and that efforts are underway to recalibrate its role from a “passive regulator into an active enabler of transformation.”
It comes as a surprise that the CHED chairperson would say that Filipinos are particularly weak at English communication, especially as English is supposedly the second language and even generally regarded as the medium of instruction in the country.
If confirmed, this weakness marks an embarrassing slide for our ability to communicate in English, which is another blow for our educational system that has been on a steady decline.
Reversing the damage, particularly when it comes to our mastery of the English language, the lingua franca, requires improving the basics, from reading and comprehension, all the way to effective communication. After allowing the slow degradation to go this far, reversing the trend is a tall order that the Department of Education and the CHED will have to serve. Hopefully soon.*
