DepEd: Location of private schools with ‘ghost students’ known

Five of the 12 private schools with alleged "ghost students" listed as beneficiaries of the government's voucher program were located in Bulacan and Pangasinan.

Ian Cruz reported Wednesday on “Saksi” that the Department of Education (DepEd) is investigating three schools in Bulacan and two in Pangasinan.

The other schools allegedly involved are in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Tarlac, Rizal, Northern Samar, Davao del Sur, and Maguindanao.

The locations are based on the investigation of the DepEd’s Government Assistance and Subsidies Service and Private Education Assistance Committee, the report said.

The Senior High School Voucher Program is a financial assistance program for students attending senior high school in private schools.

DepEd pays the beneficiaries' tuition fees based on their name and reference number of the voucher.

However, there are schools allegedly taking advantage of the beneficiaries' names and reference numbers even if they are not their students.

DepEd is also investigating if there are accomplices.

“‘Yon talaga ang pinag-aaralan namin dahil yung ibang impormasyon, iilang tao lang ang may hawak noon so yun talaga titingnan namin kung may kasabwat talaga dito,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.  

(We’re looking into that because some information has limited access to some people so we’re checking if there are accomplices.)

DepEd earlier said it had around P245 million unpaid vouchers last academic year since almost 13,000 beneficiaries have questionable records.

Meanwhile, it has P25 million unpaid vouchers for over 1,000 student beneficiaries this year.

“Yung isa nagkakamali sa isang tao o dalawang tao, yun pwedeng sabihin na clerical error. Pero yung talagang may pattern na talagang nagtetake advantage sya naghahanap ng butas para kumita. Yun talaga sasampolan natin. Hindi lang yung eskuwelahan dahil pati yung mga opisyales ng paaralan,” Angara said.

(There could be a clerical error if there is a mistake in one or two persons, but there is a pattern. There are those taking advantage, looking for a loophole to have an income. We make an example out of them. Not just the schools but also the officials of the school.)

DepEd also planned to add more safety nets to secure the voucher program.

“At this day and age, may mga communications and technology na magagamit natin para mag-validate (there are communications and technology that we can use for validation),” Angara said. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News