85 private tech-voc schools face legal suits

At least 85 technical-vocational schools in several regions nationwide are facing possible closure and legal suits for alleged corrupt practices.

Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) chief Guiling Mamondiong said he has ordered the cancelation of the certificate of registration of these tech-voc institutions (TVIs) for violating guidelines on the enforcement of scholarship programs.

TESDA’s National Inspectorate for Scholarship Programs (NISP) found the TVIs to have committed possible corrupt practices, according to Mamondiong.

The NISP recommended the closure of 43 TVIs and the cancelation of the TESDA program registration for 42 other TVIs.

Among the violations committed by the TVIs were hard-to-locate or erroneous school addresses, unreported change of location, unauthorized collection of fees, no students in attendance and unreported closure of the program or training center.

Based on the NISP’s findings, Mamondiong ordered the newly formed Validation Committee to conduct separate investigations into the alleged violations of the 85 TVIs.

“The Validation Committee is tasked to verify the findings of the (NISP) and shall submit a report with its recommendation on May 7,” Mamondiong said.

TESDA will file appropriate charges against the 85 TVIs should the initial findings be confirmed.

Aside from the 85 TVIs, TESDA is inspecting 467 more TVIs for compliance with the implementation guidelines of the scholarship program.

The NISP is expected to finish the inspection by April 30.

TESDA officials said they are exerting efforts to safeguard the funds and ensure their proper utilization since these have been allocated for the poor through scholarship grants.

Mamondiong earlier formed the NISP to ensure that government funds for the scholarship program channeled through private vocational training centers are being utilized in accordance with the rules of TESDA.

Since 2016, TESDA has audited 18,288 scholarship programs or courses of TVIs nationwide. Of these, 10,637 TVIs were found to be compliant with TESDA regulations, 572 were reported to have violated these regulations and 773 have been delisted.

TESDA is ready to give a P50,000 reward to anyone who could provide substantial information on any corrupt practices within TESDA or any of its affiliate institutions.