Computer, textbook 'scam' in Western Visayas uncovered

Sun.Star: Government auditors have recently uncovered some P115.7 million worth of computer sets bought for public school students in Western Visayas that ended up being used by school principals. The DepEd (Department of Education) Division of Bacolod City had the most number of computers at 81 units with total cost of P32.4 million. But the 47 units were not properly utilized and were discovered by the Commission on Audit to have been placed in principals' offices in various Bacolod City public schools. It was the same scenario in the DepEd Division of Antique where 46 units were bought with total cost of P18.4 million. The COA team discovered that all 46 units were not issued to the schools for the students' use but were instead installed in principals’ offices. The DepEd Division of Guimaras was guilty of the violation as well, with all 44 units valued over P10.2 million again placed in the principals' offices. The DepEd Division of Negros Occidental also had principals use all 41 computers bought for students. The findings were repeated in the DepEd Division of Capiz where 37 of the 51 units were improperly used, 23 units in DepEd Division of Roxas City out of the 27 delivered, and 20 out of 20 in DepEd Division of San Carlos City. Defective computers were also delivered by DepEd central office to the Division of Iloilo with total cost of P5.2 million. While 22 out of the 26 other units for Iloilo students' use were discovered I the offices of principals. "Others find it convenient to use the computer sets intended for classroom instructions because they were unable to acquire computers for their particular use," the COA team further noted. "Our ocular inspection confirmed that out of the 349 computers issued to the beneficiary schools, 280 units were found in the offices of the principals or district supervisors and were being used in the preparation of reports, correspondence, and financial statement while 13 units were defective," said the COA report. "Also, the DepEd Region 6 delivered sets of interactive CDs costing P1,782,600 to the different national high schools in the region but these were not accompanied with computer units and thus could not be utilized for instructional purposes. The delivery was contrary to the DepEd Memo No. 188 s. 2003 which requires that computer package under the program should be composed of hardware and software, teacher training and courseware." Without teacher training, COA said, computer hardware will be useless while all software with no computers were equally useless as well. "Every computer not used for classroom purposes for whatever reasons constitutes a setback to DepEd's goal to deliver quality education that is accessible to all through the use of appropriate information and communications technology as mandated under Sec. 1 of DepEd Memo No. 188 s. 2003," the COA said. Textbooks scam Meanwhile, as an added "bonus," government textbooks valued over P25.2 million also meant for public school students of the region were not issued to the students themselves but mostly stored in school stockrooms, the COA report also revealed. A significant part of the findings of COA in the records of the DepEd showed there is also over P58 million in unliquidated cash advances granted as financial assistance to various private organizations. Saying it was a huge case of government resources in the wrong place and with the wrong hands, COA wants immediate action and resolution from top DepEd officials. COA inspection of DepEd textbooks for Western Visayas showed a total of 246,357 copies not distributed to the students. The copies valued at over P25.2 million formed part of the P186.9 million of textbooks nationwide found to have been undistributed to public school students. - Sun.Star