THE Department of Education under Vice President Sara Duterte spent its 2023 confidential funds of P112.5 million fast, but its regular funds so slowly that it is jeopardizing Filipino learners’ future, Rep. Stella Quimbo (2nd District, Marikina) said Monday.
At the House hearing of DepEd’s 2025 proposed budget, Quimbo said the department’s confidential funds for the first three quarters of 2023 were spent 100 percent in 190 days, making for a 143 percent efficiency rate.
This, she noted, is a stark contrast to the Commission on Audit 2023 report which revealed that DepEd failed to utilize over P37 billion, or 5.13 percent, of its total adjusted allotments of P735.39 billion.
“So ang efficiency pag dating sa spending ng confidential funds ay 143 percent. Congratulations po pero pag dating sa regular funds, napakabagal po,” she said.
State auditors said the low utilization rate of the 2023 DepEd budget is mainly due to the delayed, partial, or non-implementation of various programs, activities and projects.
Quimbo said this low utilization rate, particularly of projects like the DepEd Computerization Program, aggravates the crisis in Philippine education and puts Filipinos at a disadvantage of competing for global jobs.
“In a world that is flat, they have to compete globally. Kung kulelat tayo, hirap tayo. Hirap silang mag compete, yun ang kinakaharap ng ating Kalihim, ng buong Kagawaran, kaya kelangan natin tulungan ang DepEd,” she said.
“May crisis. We cannot waste funds, we cannot waste time. Those are the two things. Pero pag dating sa COA reports, isa sa pinakamalaking findings ng COA report in 2023, ay low utilization. Ibig sabihin mabagal ang paggastos at may natitirang pondo, so wasted funds, wasted time,” she added.
Quimbo questioned DepEd’s accomplishment report thus far of 44,638 Information and Communications and Technology (ICT) packages procured for delivery. She said procured for delivery is different from delivery and cannot be listed as an accomplishment.
Ferdinand Pitagan, DepEd director for Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS), clarified that the 44,638 ICT packages include those budgeted and allocated from previous years starting 2021.
Pitagan said the catch-up plan would have all ICT packages delivered by December 2024, which Quimbo found unacceptable.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara himself expressed shock that over 1.5 million laptops, books, furniture and other school items have been stored in various warehouses for the last four years.
Angara said he has asked the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deliver the said items to the public schools around country.
Angara also said that his office is considering some changes in the procurement process to facilitate the delivery of these materials, including devolving the bidding process to regional and division levels.
