House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro on Monday accused Vice President Sara Duterte of leaving a legacy of unresolved issues in the Department of Education (DepEd), placing an undue burden on her successor, former senator and now Sec. Sonny Angara.
Castro delivered her sharp critique during the House Committee on Appropriations hearing on the proposed P793.18-billion budget for the DepEd and its attached agencies for 2025. The Vice President resigned as DepEd secretary effective July 19.
“In fairness naman kay Secretary Angara, teacher pa lang ako talagang malalim na ang pinagsamahan ng ACT Teachers at ni Secretary Angara. Si Secretary Angara, very accommodating, ang mga bills sa salary ng mga teachers ay talagang sinusuportahan niya. Ngayong Secretary na siya, mukhang mas maganda ito kesa noong nakaraan,” Castro said.
However, Castro quickly shifted focus to the challenges inherited from the previous administration.
“Kaya lang, Mr. Chair, nakakalungkot po, medyo iniwanan siya ng maraming problema ni Vice President Sara Duterte, lalong-lalo na po itong MATATAG curriculum,” Castro remarked.
She pointed out that the curriculum has placed significant strain on high school teachers, who are now handling 7-8 teaching loads per day, with each class lasting 45 minutes.
“Talagang minaximize ang 6 hours,” Castro said, underscoring the excessive workload.
Castro urged an immediate review of the MATATAG curriculum, noting that its implementation was rushed and problematic.
“Iniwanan kayo ng nakaraang administration ng ganitong problema, ngayon ‘yung mga teachers talaga natin problematic dito, sobrang pahirap itong MATATAG curriculum,” she said.
The party-list lawmaker also highlighted serious issues raised in the Commission on Audit (COA) report regarding DepEd’s Computerization Program (DCP).
“Medyo mahalaga sa akin ito, Madam Chair and Mr. Secretary, dahil gusto natin mabigyan ng laptop, mga computer ang ating mga teachers,” Castro noted, citing the COA’s findings on delays, non-delivery, and inefficiencies within the program, particularly the mishandling of DCP packages.
Moreover, Castro expressed concerns about unpaid remittances totaling 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.
According to the 2023 COA report, 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.
Castro emphasized the impact on teachers and non-teaching personnel, particularly the delayed remittances to the GSIS, which could result in interest charges and surcharges against their accounts.
“Mahalaga po itong GSIS dahil pag na-late ang remittance ng premium loan sa GSIS, ang tatamaan ng mga interests ay ang mga teachers o ang mga non-teaching personnel,” Castro warned, stressing the financial burden on DepEd employees.
“Kung hindi nababayaran sa tamang oras, meron nang interest and surcharge against the account of the teachers or the non-teaching personnel,” she added, calling for 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.
Regarding the MATATAG curriculum, Angara said that a draft Department Order is already in the works. “Nakikinig po kami sa hinaing ng mga teachers,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a DepEd official confirmed the agency, under the VP Duterte, failed to deliver almost P9 billion worth of laptops and other e-learning equipment in 2023
At the hearing for the 2025 DepEd budget, the department’s director for Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS) confirmed the COA 2023 report which observed for that year, DepEd only spent over P2.18 billion of its P11.36 billion budget for computers, laptops, smart television sets and other e-learning equipment.
Director Ferdinand Pitagan was responding to Batangas 2nd District Rep. Jinky Luistro, who asked about the low 19.22 percent utilization rate for the Department’s ICT packages.
“Now, we have this P11 billion budget. You requested this for 2023. Bakit ang disbursement niyo ay P2 billion lang?” Luistro asked.
Pitagan explained that the 2023 DepEd Computerization Program (DCP) budget was barely spent for the year because DepEd was focusing on the previous year’s (2022) funds. He said the department is playing catch-up to these crucial deliveries.
“It's hard for me to appreciate the explanation that your priority is continuing, which is the budget from 2022,” Luistro said.
“Why, therefore, did you request for P11 billion for 2023 if you're going to say now that your priority is 2022, that's why you didn't use the 2023? You know, Mr. Resource Speaker, doon po sa amin sa Batangas, hindi po magkamayaw ang humihingi ng tulong na students, teachers, and even PTA officers lahat ang problema nila ay computers, laptops,” she said.
When asked, Pitagan said the current student to computer ratio of 1 is to 9, and a teacher to computer ratio of 1 is to 30.
“That is almost saying impossible to facilitate an e-learning system having one computer for 30 teachers,” said Luistro, who blamed these delivery delays for the dismal performance of the Philippines in the global learning test PISA.
PISA is the Programme for International Student Assessment. Luistro said the Philippine education standard has remained low over the past five years.
She noted that in 2018, out of 79 countries, the country ranked last in Reading and second to the last in Science and Mathematics. In 2023, out of 81 countries, the Philippines ranked 76 in Reading and Mathematics, and 79 in Science.
The congresswoman from Batangas also noted that ICT technologies change quickly and the computers brought several years ago may become obsolete soon.
According to the 2023 COA report, the DepEd Computerization Program is designed to upgrade the ICT competencies of students and teachers. State auditors reported a dismal budget utilization rate of 50.07% with zero accomplishment for fiscal year 2023, further underscoring the department’s operational failures for that year.
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