The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Rose de la Cruz
From undelivered nutribuns (many of them in advanced stages of molds) for the nutrition programs of public schools, to undelivered laptops and other learning materials to the undue burden posed by the Matatag Curriculum on public high school teachers, these are the problems that former Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte has left for her successor to resolve.
House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. France Castro bared this bitter reality during the Committee on Appropriations hearing on the proposed P793.18 billion budget of the DepEd, now under Secretary Edgardo Angara, a former legislator. Duterte exited the DepEd on July 19.
Castro, who said she had dealt with Angara since her teacher days, noted that the curriculum has placed significant strain on high school teachers who have to tackle seven to eight loads per day with each class lasting 45 minutes under Duterte’s Matatag curriculum, which she called for immediate review.
Angara assured her that a draft Matatag curriculum is in progress with greater flexibility as it works to address the country’s learning gap.The curriculum will remain in place despite growing clamor against it.
Castro also voiced concern of the recent Commission on Audit report about the DepEd’s Computerization Program, particularly on the delays, non-delivery and inefficiencies within the program, especially the mishandling of DCP packages. DepEd failed to deliver nearly P9 billion worth of laptops and other e-learning equipment in 2023.
During the 2025 budget hearing for DepEd, Director Ferdinand Pitagan for ICT Services confirmed the COA findings saying under Duterte the DepEd had utilized only P2.18 billion of the P11.36 billion budget for computers, laptops, smart TVs and other e-learning equipment, Business Mirror reported.
Responding to the question posed by Rep. Jinky Luistro (Batangas) on the low 19.22 percent utilization rate for ICT packages, Pitagan said this was because DepEd focused on fulfilling previous year’s (2022) funding obligations and DepEd is still catching up on these critical deliveries.
Pitagan said the current student-to-computer ratio is 1:9 while teacher-to-computer ratio is 1:30.
Luistro then said this is almost impossible to facilitate an e-learning system having one computer for 30 teachers,” because of delivery delays and the poor performance of the Philippines in the global learning assessment, PISA (Program for International Student Assessment).
Luistro said that the Philippine education standard has remained low over the past five years such that in 2018, out of 79 countries, the Philippines ranked last in reading and second to last in science and mathematics. In 2023, out of 81 countries, the Philippines ranked 76 in reading and mathematics and 79 in science.
Luistro also noted that ICT technologies change quickly, and the computers brought several years ago has become outdated.
The 2023 COA report highlighted that the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP) is intended to enhance the ICT skills of students and teachers. However, state auditors reported a dismal budget utilization rate of 50.07 percent with zero accomplishments for fiscal year 2023, further underscoring the department’s operational shortcomings during that year.
Unpaid remittances
Castro showed concern over the unpaid remittances of over P5 billion to various entities, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and Pag-IBIG Fund.
The 2023 COA report said unremitted taxes amounted to P1.3 billion owed to the BIR, P3.1 billion to the GSIS, P503 million to PhilHealth, and P182 million to Pag-IBIG.
Such non-remittance would adversely impact the teachers and non-teaching staff of public schools, particularly the delayed remittances to the GSIS, which could result in interest charges and surcharges against their accounts.
“This GSIS issue is critical because if premium loan remittances are delayed, the teachers or non-teaching personnel will bear the interest costs,” Castro warned, stressing the financial burden on DepEd employees.
“If payments aren’t made on time, there will be interest and surcharge against the accounts of the teachers or non-teaching personnel,” she added, urging immediate action to address these financial obligations.
Angara and other DepEd officials assured that the COA observations, particularly regarding unremitted taxes and premiums, are being addressed through an ongoing reconciliation process.