PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines - Public high school students in Region 9 have been found academically weak in Mathematics and Science, it was learned here recently. This was revealed in a Regional Secondary Achievement Test (RSAT) recently conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Western Mindanao schools divisions of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City, Pagadian City, Dipolog City, Dapitan City, and Isabela City (Basilan). DepEd region 9 Director Walter Albos noted that in the RSAT for sophomores, the examinees recorded the lowest Mean Percentage Score (MPS) of 33.0 in Mathematics and 40.55 in Science even as they registered the best scores in VE, English and Filipino where they got an MPS of 57.90, 47.75 and 45.25, respectively. In the RSAT for fourth year, Albos said, the seniors similarly fared badly in the two major subjects getting an MPS of 32.55 in Math and 36.05 in Science. Concerned about the poor performance of the students in both Math and Science, Albos directed local high school mentors to upgrade their instructional skills in the two learning areas.