DepEd chief reveals over 1.5M DepEd items, including laptops, books, stored in warehouses since 2020

September 2, 2024 , 04:35 PM

(September 2, 2024) – Education Secretary Sonny Angara who took oath in the Department of Education last July revealed that he discovers that over 1.5 million DepEd items, including laptops, books, and furniture, have been stored in Carmona and other warehouses for four years since 2020, during the budget briefing DepEd at the House of Representatives.

This follows after ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro requested an update on the department’s computerization program, which aims to provide laptops and computers to teachers, following observations by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding DepEd’s computerization program in 2023.

Education Usec. Omar Romero stated that earlier this year, as directed by DepEd’s operations strand, the department ordered its regional offices, schools, and district offices to retrieve all goods that remained in the warehouses of their third-party logistics partner.

He mentioned that more than 90% of the items have already been pulled out, with only a few remaining in the Carmona warehouse. The items, including the computers in question, have been moved to regional and district offices for distribution to schools.

“More than 90% have been pulled out with minority remaining in the Carmona warehouse of the said logistic suppliers. All the items, the computers been subject of the question have been pulled out and are now in the regional offices and schools distinct offices for distribution to the schools,” he said.

On the other hand, Sec. Angara said he was surprised when he found out that the DepEd items have been in warehouse for four years since 2020.

“We contacted the Air Force, and others to help us remove. But in addition to what Usec. Romero said, there are over 1.5 million items still in Carmona and other warehouses, laptops, books, furnitures,” he said.

The Education chief added that they are doing their best to pull out the items to prevent the materials from deteriorating stating, “We’re doing our best to get them out para hindi mag-deteriorate ‘yung mga materyales.”

Angara added that they aim to have the item removed from the warehouse by the end of September.

(PB)

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