After COA flags ‘deficiencies,’ Senate to probe DepEd readiness for more distance learning

MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the Senate's basic education panel will launch an inquiry into the Department of Education's readiness for a prolonged distance learning scenario ahead of the opening of School Year 2021-2022. 

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said this on Friday after the Commission on Audit flagged deficiencies worth P8.14 billion in DepEd's implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP). 

State auditors in their report said they found lapses in budget utilization, non or incomplete submission of the required documents, and other deficiencies in disbursements and procurements, and more. 

Gatchalian said he filed Senate Resolution No. 739 to determine if basic education institutions can provide quality instruction for the coming school year, whether through face-to-face classes, online learning, or other means of delivery. 

"We should have learned already from our experience last year to avoid the problems that we had in the implementation of distance learning," he said in Filipino. 

'Flawed' reproduction, delivery of self-learning modules 

The purchase, reproduction, and distribution of self-learning modules (SLMs) were also flagged by COA as flawed, incomplete and delayed. Delays were attributed to a number of causes, including insufficient planning, inadequate delivery tracking, and suppliers' inability to meet deadlines.

The modules' non-availability during the period when they were meant to be utilized robbed learners of greater learning chances and hindered the learning process' continuity, according to state auditors. COA also reported that five regional offices were unable to fully comply with SLM standards, resulting in poor printing quality.

The report also said the presence of errors and deficiencies in SLMs bared procedural lapses in the checking, review, and evaluation process or system as stipulated in DepEd Memorandum No. 82 s. 2017.

In response to COA's report, DepEd maintained that the deficiencies found were due to restrictions on mobility. "[N]one of the initial findings pertained to corruption, malversation of public funds, negligence, or the betrayal of public trust," the agency said in a statement sent to Manila Bulletin. — Bella Perez-Rubio