COA questions DICT over ₱93M worth of laptops, tablets in storage, with unknown beneficiaries
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 12)— State auditors questioned the Department of Information and Communications Technology over undistributed laptops and tablets worth nearly ₱93 million for its digital education program, without any named beneficiaries.
In its 2021 annual audit report, the Commission on Audit said the DICT “failed to identify beneficiaries for the Cybersafe Learning for Education (CLE) Project prior to the acquisition of laptops and tablets, resulting in the low rate of distribution.”
The report said a ₱550 million budget was allocated for the CLE project for 2020 and 2021, which led to the purchase of 10,250 laptops, 41,500 tablets, and 1,001 pocket wi-fi units.
Phase 1 of the CLE program piloted in coordination with LGUs and recipient schools in Makati and San Juan.
However, the report said 866 laptops and 12,482 tablets worth nearly ₱93 million are still with the agency. Each laptop reportedly cost ₱32,200. Of the tablets, 1,148 units cost ₱4950 each while 11,000 were bought at ₱5,400 a piece.
“The PMO (Project Management Officer) of the CLE explained that some of the ICT devices on hand were already allocated to several beneficiaries but not yet released due to deficiency in complying with the requirements of the Department,” the COA said.
The COA added it was informed that the distribution of the devices was conditioned on the letter request from the targeted beneficiaries, then evaluation and screening by the PMT (Project Management Team).
“Accordingly, there are no exact actual beneficiaries identified when the procurement was commenced. What is attendant is the information drive that the Department has available ICT devices for distribution,” it said.
COA said “the distribution for the targeted beneficiaries should have been streamlined in order to urgently address the needs of the beneficiaries…not to mention that prolonged holding of the gadgets may lead to its obsolescence.”
In its Department Circular 003 issued in April 2022, the DICT explained that the CLE is part of its digital education program, now called, the Digital Learners Project, which seeks to “promote digital literacy by building the knowledge of students and learners in the public schools…and deliver cyber education and learning content in order to promote cyber safety and security awareness and practices to address relevant stakeholders.”
Auditors called on the DICT to coordinate with Education officials to determine the number of students and teachers needing devices, identify beneficiaries ahead of purchase, and immediately distribute the items.
The report said the DICT management submitted its letter-reply dated June 24, 2022 to COA containing the list of receiving agencies or organizations and their direct beneficiaries. It said that there were 20,017 devices that have already been deployed to agencies and organizations. And out of 105 receiving agencies or organizations, 65 are consolidating their documents for submission to the department.
The management also said that it requested an itemized number of devices with corresponding label on the deployed devices for the receiving agencies.
