DepEd starts retrieving learning materials ‘held hostage’ by Transpac

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education on Friday said that it has started to retrieve the unused learning equipment kept in the warehouses of a previously contracted logistics firm that reportedly refused to distribute the supplies due to payment issues with the department.

In a statement, DepEd announced that it plans to complete the distribution of the learning resources to public schools nationwide by the end of next week.  

This comes after DepEd in early December received a letter from Transpac "suddenly informing DepEd that it may now haul the good stores in its warehouses."

DepEd said that the delay in the recovery of the learning resources “is not a simple case of unpaid warehouse fees” as it could only release its payment to Transpac “upon the fulfillment of obligations and corresponding submission of complete documentation.”

A December 3 report by Rappler detailed that DepEd has refused to pay warehouse fees to Transpac due to the firm’s failure to distribute the learning equipment. With Transpac "holding hostage" the school equipment, DepEd filed a case against them to retrieve the learning materials.

DepEd said on Friday that after receiving Transpac's letter, its regional and division offices "have immediately started hauling the goods."

The education department’s statement comes a day after Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) filed a House resolution seeking a probe into the incident.

Stuck in warehouses

DepEd's failure to deliver school materials promptly — resulting in unused supplies left to gather dust in warehouses — has appeared in several reports of the Commission on Audit (CoA) on the department through the years.

In its 2022 audit report, CoA found that DepEd has failed to distribute some P1.2 billion worth of science and mathematics equipment and millions worth of tools and equipment used by technical vocational students, among others. 

Around P1 billion of school furniture was also reportedly not picked up from three suppliers, racking up P11 million in warehousing fees.

In 2022, CoA also flagged DepEd for the non-delivery of textbooks to schools in Region 5 resulting in the non-delivery of textbooks in warehouses from four months to a year, amounting to a loss of about P36 million. 

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