COA bares chair-shortage in WV public schools, 'wrong' rice in feeding program, private orgs with DepEd 'dues'
A total of 1,059 elementary schools in Western Visayas and 113 Secondary Schools are in desperate need for tables and chairs. The number was significant enough that had government auditors categorize its findings under "acute seats-shortage" list as it made its reports on the operations of the Department of Education (DepEd).
The inadequate tables, chairs and armchairs were discovered by the Commission on Audit (COA) as it disclosed over P32.7 million worth of defective and substandard chairs bought by the department in the past year.
And there are more questions still on DepEd's affairs in 2006. For instance, a total of 64,275 kilos of rice bought for the department's feeding program were wanting of nutrients specified by the program.
Region 6 purchased a total of 206,410 kilos of iron-fortified rice as mandated by the DepEd's "Food for School Program."
COA as per verification of the DepEd's records showed that in Western Visayas alone, "improper and inappropriate allocation in the delivery of the program" happened.
Instead of the iron-fortified kind of rice, other varieties were fed to the schoolchildren placed at 64,275 kilos.
Meantime. DepEd Central Office has over P58.9 million in unliquated cash advances granted as fund assistance to private organizations.
The News Today (TNT) obtained a COA confirmation showing Tagipusuon Foundation of power couple Secretary Augusto Boboy Syjuco and Second District Congresswoman Judy Syjuco as among those in the list.
The fund assistance that needed to be liquidated was granted back in 2001 in two batches. First was in March 27, 2001 in the amount of P996,000 with Tagipusuon Foundation as "payee." The second amount was granted in December 28, 2001 in the amount of P7,175,000.00.
Regrettably, the COA noted, DepEd's Accounting Division could not get hold of the officials of the private organizations since no copies of Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) entered into these groups are not to be found.
Other private organizations with unliquidated cash advances cum fund assistance were AMA Computer College (P705,000) and ABS-CBN Foundation with a total of fund assistance amounting to some P10.4 million.
"With the lapse of time since the funds were released to the recipients, it may be safely concluded that the projects/programs funded by these cash advances have long been completed/terminated. The unreasonable delay in its liquidation triggers suspicion that the funds transferred may not have actually been spent for the purpose specified in the MOA between the DepEd and the concerned NGOs/Pos," the COA wrote.
As such, COA calls on the DepEd to send demand letters and cause the immediate liquidation.
And go to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the DepEd was told "to determine whether the recipients of the funds are registered NGOs/Pos and really existing and they will send demand letters to the incorporators."