2021 International Literacy Day

Happy International Literacy Day!

The National Library of the Philippines celebrates International Literacy Day (ILD) with the theme: “Literacy for a Human-centered Recovery: Narrowing the Digital Divide.”

ILD’s theme highlights the vital role of literacy in empowering people to recover from the pandemic and promote equal access to learning and information, as COVID-19 crisis disrupts many opportunities and heightened inequalities in the learning continuity.

The International Literacy Day is a yearly celebration created in 1967 by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) “to remind the public of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights, and to enhance the literacy agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society.”

In 1979, Proclamation No. 1886 was signed declaring September 8 of every year as National Literacy Day, in support of promoting the significant role of literacy in the Philippine economic, social and cultural development.

Sources:

International Literacy Day-Poster. Retrieved from UNESCO https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/literacyday

Literacy for a human-centered recovery Narrowing the digital divide. Retrieved from United Nations https://www.un.org/en/observances/literacy-day

Official Gazette of the Philippines. Proclamation No. 1886, s. 1979. Retrieved from https://bityl.co/8a1g