by Philstar.com, 20 Aug 2021
MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the Senate’s basic education panel will launch an inquiry into the Department of Education’s readiness for a prolonged distance learning scenario ahead of the opening of School Year 2021-2022.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said this on Friday after the Commission on Audit flagged deficiencies worth P8.14 billion in DepEd’s implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).
State auditors in their report said they found lapses in budget utilization, non or incomplete submission of the required documents, and other deficiencies in disbursements and procurements, and more.
Gatchalian said he filed Senate Resolution No. 739 to determine if basic education institutions can provide quality instruction for the coming school year, whether through face-to-face classes, online learning, or other means of delivery.
“We should have learned already from our experience last year to avoid the problems that we had in the implementation of distance learning,” he said in Filipino.
‘Flawed’ reproduction, delivery of self-learning modules
The purchase, reproduction, and distribution of self-learning modules (SLMs) were also flagged by COA as flawed, incomplete and delayed. Delays were attributed to a number of causes, including insufficient planning, inadequate delivery tracking, and suppliers’ inability to meet deadlines.
The modules’ non-availability during the period when they were meant to be utilized robbed learners of greater learning chances and hindered the learning process’ continuity, according to state auditors. COA also reported that five regional offices were unable to fully comply with SLM standards, resulting in poor printing quality.
The report also said the presence of errors and deficiencies in SLMs bared procedural lapses in the checking, review, and evaluation process or system as stipulated in DepEd Memorandum No. 82 s. 2017.
In response to COA’s report, DepEd maintained that the deficiencies found were due to restrictions on mobility. “[N]one of the initial findings pertained to corruption, malversation of public funds, negligence, or the betrayal of public trust,” the agency said in a statement sent to Manila Bulletin. — Bella Perez-Rubio
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos
July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
