Inquirer.net spotlights DepEd purchase of overpriced laptops

CHEERS TO Inquirer.net‘s report on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) purchase of outdated yet expensive PHP 58,300 laptops. The report written by Kurt Dela Peña was published on August 8, 2022.

Other media also reported on the issue with interviews from teachers, teachers’ groups, and a review of a Commission on Audit (COA) report. But Inquirer.net stood out with its comprehensive report that also utilized infographics to illustrate the number of teachers affected, and other data.

DepEd, along with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), is under close scrutiny after the COA flagged its purchase of PHP2.4 B worth of laptops with Intel Celeron processors. Laptops with these processors are among the cheapest in the market, at PHP 15,000 to 20,000 each, but those that DepEd purchased were way above that amount. 

Inquirer.net’s report described the specifications of a laptop above PHP 50K and how much the purchased laptops were only “entry-type.” Dela Peña also noted in his August 8 report how nearly half of teachers supposed to be issued laptops ended up not having them due to DepEd’s costly purchase.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) expressed dismay over teachers’ being forced to buy laptops out of their pockets, while the government buys “overpriced and outdated laptops that cannot be used in teaching.” Dela Peña cited a study that showed 60 to 63 percent of 28,859 teachers used their own money to buy laptops, which proved even more necessary due to the remote learning system DepEd used because of the pandemic.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) also said that some teachers did not even receive laptops. COA reported that 28,917 teachers have been “deprived” due to the purchase of overpriced laptops.

The report also cited Makabayan Bloc lawmakers who pointed out that it was not the first time dubious procurements had been flagged by the COA, with PS-DBM involved as well. ACT, Gabriela, and Kabataan representatives recalled the overpriced goods the health department purchased from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. and filed a resolution to investigate the matter.

As classes start this August and anomalies such as this still arise, the media should keep close watch on the education sector and make sure no student or teacher is left behind.