TDC Chair Benjo Basas was responding to the issues that emerged during the House’s deliberation of DepEd’s proposed 2025 budget. Photo by The EdLines
The Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) said the revelations during the House budget briefing on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) slow purchase and distribution of laptops was “infuriating” as teachers struggled to have their own laptops and materials for so long.
TDC Chair Benjo Basas was responding to the issues that emerged during the House’s deliberation of DepEd’s proposed 2025 budget, including the underutilization of its funds for ICT equipment and the non-delivery of laptops and books that have been sitting in a warehouse for four years.
“Since 2020, when students and teachers desperately needed modules, books, and laptops, we have been requesting these essential resources to no avail. It turns out that these items were merely left to rot in warehouses. Even the budget recently allocated for the same purpose was not utilized. It is painful for us, teachers, who had to borrow money to purchase our own laptops, to learn this harsh truth,” Basas said.
According to the Commission on Audit (COA), DepEd reported “zero accomplishment” in its procurement of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment for fiscal year 2023.
Despite a budget of P11 billion allocated for the Computerization Program, the agency managed to disburse only P2 billion, raising concerns about its ability to meet the educational needs of students and teachers nationwide.
COA attributed this failure to “reconfiguration” of initial specifications and changes to the procurement plan, which led to no deliveries occurring in 2023.
In response to the audit findings, DepEd said the delays were due to necessary legal and internal reviews, as well as the need for contract signing and notarization.
DepEd Director Ferdinand Pitagan defended the agency, noting that as of May 2024, the agency had obligated 95% of the P11 billion funding, although this was not yet reflected in COA documents.
Meanwhile, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara revealed that some 1.5 million units of laptops, books and other equipment have been stored for four years at the warehouse of the agency’s logistics provider.
DepEd said the delivery of the materials will be completed by end-September, with 90% already distributed.
