PS-DBM chief to order ’thorough examination’ of pricey P2.4-B DepEd laptops

MANILA, Philippines — The newly designated chief of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) said Monday he would order a “thorough examination” of the pricey laptops purchased for the Department of Education (DepEd) back in 2021.

The move came after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged DepEd’s purchase of laptops with low-end processors, which amounted to P2.4 billion.

“The PS-DBM, under my watch, shall fully cooperate to address the Commission on Audit’s findings and recommendations regarding the procurement of P2.4-billion worth of laptops for the Department of Education in 2021,” PS-DBM executive director Dennis Santiago said in a statement.

“I shall instruct a thorough examination of the cost of the items involved, as well as its technical specifications. Should the records prove that there are indeed instances of non-compliance with the law and procurement rules, rest assured that we will never tolerate it,” he added.

According to COA, “the economy and efficiency in the procurement of laptop computers” were not guaranteed after DepEd settled with PS-DBM’s price and specification recommendations, which rose from P35,046.50 on its Agency Procurement Request to P58,300 on its Approved Budget for the Contract.

The higher price of the laptops, in turn, decreased the number of intended beneficiaries, said COA.

Furthermore, COA noted that the laptops also have Intel Celeron processors usually found in entry-level personal computers.

“Malinaw po ang aming mandato: Siguruhin na transparent at competitive ang mga proseso sa PS-DBM, gawin ang nararapat na hakbang upang maiwasan ang iregularidad sa procurement, at siguraduhing maayos at matuwid ang pagbili para sa gobyerno,” Santiago said.

(Our mandate is clear: Ensure that the process in the PS-DBM is transparent, do what is proper to avoid irregularity in the procurement, and ensure that the procurement is appropriate for the government.)

READ: COA flags DepEd over P2.4B purchase of pricey laptops with old processors

je/abc