DepEd mulls replacing teachers’ 'outdated' laptops bought in 2021

The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Wednesday that it is looking at the possibility of replacing the “outdated and pricey” laptops of the teachers procured through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in 2021.

At a press conference, DepEd spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said that they have two approaches on the issue surrounding the P2.4 billion worth of laptops purchased for teachers amid the COVID-19 pandemic: to internally evaluate the laptops and make a “quick fix” so they could be used immediately; or to apply legal remedies for it.

“Kung talagang mabagal po talaga ‘yung mga computers [if these computers are really slow] and not up to par with what we wanted, ‘yan pong mga computers as far as I understand, ay covered pa rin ng warranty,” he said.

“What we will do, aside from addressing the concerns of the teachers now doon sa mabagal na computers, we will also, in coordination with PS-DBM,…we will invoke the warranty provision under contract dito sa supplier ng ating laptops,” he added.

In a message to reporters, Poa clarified that there is no directive yet to replace the said laptops.

“Wala pa po tayo doon. We will be evaluating muna [we are not there yet, we will evaluate first],” he said.

“Now, if proven that the laptops delivered do not perform as they should be as purchased, we will then consider available legal remedies — which is to invoke the warranty provision.”

COA recommendations

Among the recommendations of the Commission on Audit (COA) when they flagged DepEd on the issue was for the agency to “evaluate the concerns raised by the recipients on the conditions, performance, and technical specifications of the laptops and communicate the same to DBM-PS for appropriate action.”

If the DepEd invokes the warranty provisions with the laptop supplier, Poa said that they will check if there is still anything that could be done regarding the laptops or they have to be replaced already.

He also pointed out that there are provisions on giving more learning materials, including gadgets, for teachers under DepEd’s proposed budget for 2023.

“We are trying to remedy the situation with this one kasi malamang, ito ‘yung gagamitin nila [these are the laptops that will be used] for this coming school year,” he continued.

The School Year 2022-2023 is set to open on August 22 and will end on July 7, 2023.

Bayanihan 2

Further answering to the laptop procurement issue, Poa stressed that the funds used to buy the gadgets were under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) to aid the teachers with their remote classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“‘Yung funds na nagamit dito sa pagbibili ng laptops natin ay galing sa Bayanihan 2. This was not an original program of the DepEd, although siyempre gusto nating i-digitize ang ating teachers noon because andiyan ‘yung COVID, madaming lockdowns, remote ‘yung schooling. That was the purpose of the laptops,” he said.

(The funds used to buy the laptops came from Bayanihan 2. This was not an original program of the DepEd, although of course we wanted to digitize our teachers then because of COVID—there were many lockdowns, and classes were remote. That was the purpose of the laptops.)

As this was under Bayanihan 2, Poa said that the DepEd had to tap the PS-DBM for the procurement of laptops as they have the expertise on the matter.

He said they are also waiting for PS-DBM’s documentation regarding the price basis of the laptops.

“‘Yun yung hinihintay natin sa PS-DBM, kung ano ang basehan ng presyo, as well as the technical specs. Kailangan nating makuha ‘yung documentation [we are waiting for the PS-DBM’s documentation on what is the basis of the price, as well as the technical specs]. It would be unfair for us to say something without the proper documentation on hand,” Poa said.

“Sinisiguro po namin sa inyo na ang DepEd is now coordinating closely with the Commission on Audit. We are also coordinating closely with the new administration of PS-DBM para masagot yung AOM (audit observation memorandum) at maibigay ‘yung document na kinakailangan pa po ng COA,” he added.

(We assure you that DepEd is now coordinating closely with the COA and the new administration of PS-DBM so that the AOM can be answered and the documents required by the COA can be provided.)

For the DepEd’s part, Poa said last Thursday that they have already submitted the requirements needed by the COA on the matter and are now awaiting the feedback from the state auditors.

Meanwhile, PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago said Saturday that they are planning to launch an investigation into the P2.4 billion worth of laptops, noting that their mandate is to ensure that the procurement process is transparent and competitive to avoid irregularities.

The House of Representatives' Makabayan bloc has also sought a congressional investigation into the issue. —KG/RSJ, GMA News