COA flags DepEd for only 23% classroom repairs

The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out the Department of Education (DepEd) over low accomplishment rate for its Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) programs for 2020 to 2021 despite a fund allocation of P9.467 billion.

In its 2021 annual audit report on DepEd, the COA noted that of the 11,468 classrooms targeted to be repaired in 2021, only 23.45 percent or 2,689 classrooms were completed as of yearend.

The COA’s record showed that 7,679 classroom remained under construction while 1,110 classrooms were “under procurement” status.

The audit body also reported that none of the targeted 553,338 pieces of furniture to be distributed to various public schools was procured within the year.

Among the furniture sets to be procured in 2021 were individual learner’s tables and chairs for elementary and junior and senior high school students as well as teacher’s tables and chairs, it said.

The COA noted that as of end of 2021, the items remained under “ongoing procurement.”

Meanwhile, of the targeted 963 projects involving electrification and installation of solar panels in schools to be implemented in 2020, the COA said only 59.29 percent or 571 projects were completed, 316 were ongoing and 76 under procurement.

“The above low accomplishment rate showed that the BEFF program’s target of providing school furniture, repairs and rehabilitation of classrooms and electrification were not fully achieved,” the COA reported.

The DepEd has yet to submit to the audit team the copies of contracts and other supporting documents for its completed procurements in connection with the BEFF program.

“This hindered the auditorial and technical review of the procurement transactions and prompt detection or correction of possible deficiencies thereof,” the COA said.

The COA’s records showed that a total of P9.467 billion was appropriated by Congress to DepEd for the implementation of the BEFF program. This included P8.219 billion appropriation in 2021 and P1.248 billion continuing appropriation from 2020.

The COA said that as of Dec. 31, 2021, a total of P7.483 billion or 79.04 percent of the allocated budget for the BEFF has been obligated by DepEd, leaving 20.96 percent or P1.984 billion unobligated or unused.

It recommended to the DepEd to “observe strict monitoring and supervision of the overall program implementation to ensure its timely completion and delivery to the intended recipient schools.”