The Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) during its 147th Council meeting held on September 20, 2021, via Microsoft Teams officially launched the NLIS through the issuance of LCC Resolution No. 02, s. 2021, entitled “ADOPTION OF THE NATIONAL LITERACY INFORMATION SYSTEM DATABASE, INCLUDING ITS UTILIZATION, PUBLICATION, AND MAINTENANCE IN THE OFFICIAL LITERACY COORDINATING COUNCIL WEBSITE.” Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary and LCC chairperson Diosdado M. San Antonio presided over the approval of the resolution as part of the agenda of the LCC Meeting.
The said Resolution provides for the adoption of the National Literacy Information System (NLIS) database as the official and primary database management system administered by the Literacy Coordinating Council to support its literacy endeavors, as well as synchronize and strengthen policies and efforts toward the universalization of literacy in the country. This issuance also serves as a formal document and basis for the System’s promotion and dissemination to local government units (LGU), non-government organizations (NGO), as well as other concerned literacy stakeholders and partners.
One of LCC’s strategies in advocating a universalized literacy in the country is the utilization of digital platforms, through a continuous process of development and enhancement of a national inter-agency database that will not only address the gaps of service delivery, especially the literacy efforts and implementation of literacy programs and projects at the grassroots level but also disseminate a nationwide campaign for digital literacy, which will also complement efforts to provide opportunities for lifelong learning and 21st-century skills development among all Filipinos.
Formulating measures on the monitoring and evaluation of the literacy situation in the country, including the establishment and maintenance of a national data bank and information exchange and dissemination system to support literacy efforts at the national and local levels is one of the functions of the Council as provided for under RA 7165, as amended by RA 10122 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
This is being accomplished through the development and maintenance of LCC’s National Literacy Information System. Pertinent data on literacy are gathered and organized through different NLIS modules, namely: Literacy Laws and Policies, Research on Literacy, Literacy Survey, Basic Education, National Literacy Conference, National Literacy Awards, Community-Based Literacy Programs, Literacy Partners, Best Practices in Literacy, Resources, and LCC Secretariat. This database serves as a digital resource platform especially developed to provide data and information which may be used by concerned national government agencies, LGUs, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders in policy formulation and literacy program development and management.
The NLIS is a result of the collective efforts, commitment, and contribution of the Council representatives, TWG members, and the LCC Secretariat in the development of the database management system through various phases of conceptualization, system development, data population and update, system enhancement, user testing, and system validation. Ongoing initiatives are being done for the System’s maintenance continuous improvement.
The Literacy Coordinating Council is resolute in its mandate and commitment to achieving a universalized literacy in the Philippines. As part of the resolution’s mandatory provision, it is encouraged that the Literacy Coordinating Council through its Council Member Representatives, literacy stakeholders, as well as the concerned public to advocate and promote the utilization of the NLIS database and contribute as well to the provision of pertinent literacy data and information needed for its enhancement.
Through this digital literacy initiative, partnerships and linkages between and among different literacy stakeholders can also be strengthened, which will result in improved literacy program interventions not only at the national but also down to the grassroots level.
This NLIS database can be accessed through the official LCC Website, or at https://lcc.deped.gov.ph/nlis.
For a copy of the LCC Resolution No. 2, s. 2021 please visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rwiWTVH7E6RUPHVL6tK_xW6fZsZNP_Yl/view
Terence Joshua S. Canlas