COA: P26-M subsidy, allowance for students unutilized by CHED NCR, Region 1

Subsidies and allowances for qualified students provided under Bayanihan 2 totaling over P26 million were left unutilized by the Metro Manila and Region 1 offices of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), state auditors have found.

In a report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said that out of the P71 million funds for the Bayanihan 2 for Higher Education Tulong Program (B2HELP) received by CHED Regional Offices NCR and 1, over P26 million were unutilized as of December 31, 2020.

B2HELP provides a one-time fixed grant of P5,000 to qualified students whose families were hit by work stoppages and closures of establishments due to the coronavirus pandemic.

COA found that only 58.30% or P33 million out of P57 million B2HELP funds were utilized by CHED NCR and the remaining cash allocation, though obligated at year-end, already lapsed and automatically reverted to the Bureau of Treasury.

State auditors said CHED NCR failed to utilize B2HELP funds by December 19, 2020 due to the failure of some HEIs to submit complete and appropriate application documents within the specified timeline.

Meanwhile, CHED Region 1 only used up 83.97% or P11 million out of the P13 million funds it received for B2HELP.

Out of the P11 million utilized funds, only around P9 million was actually transferred to partner HEIs through auto debit account while over P2 million was disbursed through checks that remain unclaimed by HEIs.

“This had deprived some qualified grantees of their financial benefits which could have contributed to their educational needs and ensured the sustainability of the scholarship programs,” COA said.

CHED NCR said it had already begun acting on the recommendations of state auditors but also said “it should be noted that the time allotted to implement the program was very limited.”

CHED Region 1 likewise maintained that it “exerted its best effort to maximize the utilization of the downloaded fund for this purpose despite circumstances beyond its control.”—LDF, GMA News