Solon says P10-billion DepEd’s budget cut a call for accountability
MANILA, Philippines — The P10-billion budget cut from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) computerization program is not an attack on the agency but a call to ensure accountability on proper fund management, 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” Gutierrez said on Saturday.
According to Gutierrez, the Congress can’t keep throwing funds after issues of mismanagement and misallocation, citing the revelations made in probing the DepEd’s fund use during the leadership of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Secretary (Sonny) Angara may argue that education funding is sacrosanct, but Congress cannot keep throwing good money after bad. This is not about depriving education; it’s about ensuring proper fund use and accountability,” Gutierrez said in a statement.
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“Now that he’s education secretary, he should focus on fixing DepEd’s internal mess instead of crying foul about budget decisions,” Gutierrez added.
READ: Solons blast low budget use, non-delivery of laptops of DepEd under Sara
Article continues after this advertisementThe DepEd suffered a P12 billion budget cut from the P748.6 billion funding approved by the House of Representatives. Angara slammed the budget cut, noting that the P10 billion cut could have helped with the agency’s proposed 2025 computerization program.
Article continues after this advertisement“That could have funded thousands of computers/gadgets for our public school children. Infrastructure is important but so is investing in our people and human capital. The digital divide will widen,” Angara said in a tweet.
Gutierrez then pointed out the report of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the agency’s low budget utilization for ICT equipment in 2023. The COA found out that only P2.18 billion out of P11.36 billion funds for computers, laptops, and television sets for e-learning were spent.
The lawmaker also noted the non-delivery of thousands of laptops for teaching and non-teaching personnel in 2023, adding that the low teacher-to-computer ratio is “unacceptable.”
“We know it’s extremely difficult for Secretary Angara to defend DepEd’s lack of action when the Philippines is already at rock bottom in global education rankings. A teacher-to-computer ratio of 30:1 is unacceptable and we have VP Sara to blame for it,” he said.
The education department under Duterte was also caught in controversy when a House probe found out that the Office of the Vice President and the DepEd submitted about 4,500 acknowledgement receipts to the COA to explain how they used the P612.5 million of confidential funds.
