COA flags DepEd contract delays impacting textbooks, learning materials delivery

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged delays in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) signing of contracts with suppliers of textbooks and other learning materials, which affected their timely distribution to schools.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Mariz Umali, COA said the signing of 56 contracts worth nearly P2.5 billion for textbooks and teachers’ manuals for Grades 2, 5, and 8 was delayed by up to nearly 60 days.

This was well beyond the 10-calendar-day period prescribed under procurement rules following the issuance of the Notice of Award (NOA).

The delays also affected other learning resources, including self-learning modules, the inspection and acceptance of supplemental learning resources, and some project implementation activities, COA said.

The timely delivery of these materials is particularly important as schools increasingly resort to online and asynchronous classes during periods of inclement weather.

Textbooks and other instructional materials also allow students to continue studying at home even without a teacher physically present.

In its response to COA, DepEd explained that the process was not simple, as 56 separate contracts had to be processed, each requiring independent preparation, legal review and possible revisions.

COA, however, said these processes were mandatory and that DepEd’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) should have monitored compliance with the prescribed timeline for contract signing.

COA said DepEd had agreed to review its processes to ensure compliance with procurement rules and prevent similar delays.

GMA News is still awaiting DepEd’s response to the audit findings. —LDF, GMA News