MANILA, Philippines- Malaki ang paniniwala ni Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero na maaaring gamitin ng Department of Education (DepEd) sa pamumuno ni Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara ang hindi nagamit ng badyet sa mga nakaraang taon bilang pamalit sa tinapyas na P12 bilyon sa DepEd Computerization Program (DCP).
Naunang pinalagan ni Angara ang final version ng badyet ng DepEd na inaprubahan sa bicameral conference committee na umabot sa P12 bilyon para sa computerization program ng ahensya.
Ngunit ayon kay Escudero, pwedeng itaas ang badyet ng ahensya sa 2025 kung gagamitin ang bilyong pisong halaga ng unspent funds mula sa nakaraang taon.
Sa text messages sa reporters, ipinaliwanag ni Escudero na may “savings and unspent items” ang DepEd sa 2024 budget na maaaring magamit bilang pamalit sa tinapyas na 2025 budget ng ahensiya.
“The President can augment any item in the budget from savings or unspent items in the budget… Madami naman po source to augment. DepEd and its Secretary should know because the submissions for the budget deliberations on their own dismal fund utilization came from them,” ani Escudero.
Ayon kay Escudero, kabilang sa magandang halimbawa ng “savings or unspent items” sa DepEd ang mga sumusunod:
“P10.034 billion that DepEd has not obligated, much less spent, since it was allocated 13.068 billion in the GAA (General Appropriations Act) of 2022 for its computerization program, which, by the way will revert to the National Treasury by the end of 2024.”
“P10.2 billion that DepEd has also not obligated nor spent out of the 20.4 billion Congress allocated in the 2023 GAA still for for its computerization program; or maybe.”
“P15.9 billion (out of the 18.08 billion) that DepEd has also not spent from the 2024 budget also for its computerization program.”
Ngunit, ayon kay Sevilla, taliwas sa paniniwala ng Kongreso, umabot na sa mahigit 89 porsyento ng P32 bilyon na inilaan sa DepEd Computerization Program (DCP) ang nagastos ng ahensya.
“Out of a total budge of P32 bilyon for DepEd Computerization Program (DCP) from 2022 to 2024, P28.5 billion equivalent to 89%, has been obligated as of November 30, 2024,” ayon kay Sevilla.
Naunang kinuwestiyon ni Angara at ilang senador sa pangunguna ni Senador Risa Hontiveros ang kontrobersyal na Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program or AKAP, zero subsidy sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), paglobo ng badyet ng Department of Public Works and Highways tungo sa P1.1 trillion, at tinapyas na badyet ng Department of Education, partikular sa computerization program.
Noong nakaraang linggo, nagpahayag ng pagdismaya si Angara, dating chairman ng Senate committee on finance, sa binawas na P12 bilyon sa badyet ng ahensya sa ilalim ng final version ng 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“The majority of the P12 billion was for the computerization program of the DepEd,” ayon kay Angara. Ernie Reyes
