Some teachers returned DepEd-provided laptops, says coalition

Some teachers have returned the laptops that the Department of Education (DepEd) as they were not satisfied with their performance, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said Thursday.

At a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, coalition chairman and public school teacher Benjo Basas said others even refused the units after just seeing their specifications. 

“In fact, marami po nagsoli. After a while sinoli nila dahil hindi po uubra. Merong mga nakita pa lang nila ‘yung specs ay hindi na nila tinanggap,” Basas said during the inquiry on the DepEd's procurement of supposedly overpriced and outdated laptops for teachers.

[In fact, many returned their laptops. After a while, they returned the laptops because they said it will not be enough. One saw the specs and decided not to get it.]

According to Basas, the earliest report they received was of a teacher from San Jose on February 9. He was followed by another teacher from Baguio on March 15.

“Ganon din po ang storya. Hindi po niya tinanggap. Pero ‘yung taga Baguio after using these for several months hindi na niya ginamit at bumili na siya ng sarili niyang laptop,” Basas said.

[The story is the same. He did not accept it. But the one from Baguio chose not to use the laptop anymore and decided to buy his own after using the laptop for several months.]

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Senator Francis Tolentino asked Basas to provide a sworn statement from the teachers.

“Can you provide this committee some copies of those statements coming from– most probably, highly appreciated if it’s going to be a sworn statement of those recipients that returned,” he said.

Tolentino said the statements would validate Basas’ claim and support a Commission on Audit report that stated that some teachers returned the laptops due to their speed and performance.

The senator also raised the possibility that the performance was not sufficient due to a bad signal.

Basas reiterated that some were not satisfied with the specifications while other teachers also canvassed laptops.

“For example, one teacher from Aurora Province, nung nakita niya po ‘yan sinoli niya agad kasi ang mahal daw… Sinoli na niya doon sa kanilang property custodian kasi kapag nasira… Baka pa bayaran sa kanya, hindi niya kaya bayaran,” Basas said.

[For example, one teacher from Aurora Province, immediately returned the laptop when he saw it due to the price… He returned it to the property custodian because he was afraid that if it broke, he would be asked to pay for it.]

Basas said he received less than 30 complaints and reports on the laptops.

"Less than 30 cases pero pare-pareho po. Although, 'yung iba po... sinasabi nila lima sa school nila. So report po 'yung pinagbabatayan namin. Hindi 'yung actual count ng laptop," Basas said.

Education Director Abram Abanil said 12% of the laptops were given to non-teaching personnel such as DepEd office and finance personnel while the rest were given to teaching personnel. —NB, GMA News