This study sought to examine the perceived effects of ARAL Program implementation on the foundational literacy skills of Key Stage 1 learners in public elementary schools in the Division of San Pablo City for the School Year 2025–2026. A total of 256 participants, consisting of 57 school heads and 199 teachers or learning tutors from 66 public elementary schools, took part in the study.

A mixed-methods approach was used, applying descriptive statistics to evaluate ARAL implementation and learners’ literacy skills, and a paired-samples t-test to examine differences between BOSY and EOSY results. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically to identify challenges and enabling factors and were integrated with the quantitative findings.

The study revealed that the ARAL Program is very highly implemented in selected Key Stage 1 classrooms, contributing to significant improvements in learners’ literacy skills, particularly in reading, and a reduction in the number of emerging readers. The results further confirmed a significant difference between BOSY and EOSY assessments, establishing the program’s effectiveness. However, challenges such as learner absenteeism, limited instructional time, increased teacher workload, insufficient materials, and low parental support were encountered. To enhance program outcomes, it is recommended to strengthen support systems, provide adequate and localized materials, improve instructional practices especially in writing, promote active parental involvement, and sustain targeted interventions for struggling learners.