Filipinos are now suffering a decline on their English proficiency level as it drops to the world ranking at 27th place.
The country dropped seven places based on the English Proficiency Rankings based on the United States-based company Education First (EF).
Based on 100 countries and regions tested for the proficiency, the Philippines is still next to Singapore when it comes to English proficiency.
Over the years, the Philippines is seeing a decline in ranking from 14 in 2018, 20 in 2019 and now at 27th place.
“For decades, Asia has been the workshop of the world, fueling economic development across the region. But a transition from manufacturing to knowledge-driven growth will require better English,” the study said.
The proficiency test was conducted to 2.2 million adults. Netherlands tops the list with a score of 652.
Manila City is among the high-ranking cities when it comes to English proficiency at 21st place.
“In many cases, that will mean improving English instructions in schools. In some contexts, adult instruction is of nearly equal importance,” the report said.
It’s unclear for now how the coronavirus pandemic, distance learning and natural disasters will affect the future rankings of the Philippines in English proficiency.
