The Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Department of Education for non-liquidation of P13.9-billion expenditure over the past years.
It said “the significant amount of unliquidated cash advances is a result of the leniency of the DepEd in granting, liquidation and monitoring of cash advances, which is contrary to existing COA rules and regulations, and DepEd guidelines relative thereto.”
State auditors said the Education department spent P13.9 billion without legal basis or adequate documentation.
Various expenses ate up the department’s P13.2 for Region 7, followed by P312 million for trainings/seminars and midyear/annual planning and assessment activities in lavish resorts and tourist spot sites by the central office, P101 million worth of various expenses for Region 3, P45 million various expenses for Region 2, P34.5 million for various expenses for Region 9, P29 million various expenses for Region 1, P24 million fund transfer for school-based feeding program for Region 1’s Compostela Valley, P20.7 million for repair and construction expenses from the basic educational facilities fund for Region 10, P17 million for repair and rehabilitation of school building projects for Region 7 and P11-million payment for the PCAB contractor despite the contractor’s license expiration.
COA, however, said DepEd promised to accomplish the completion of its required documents.
Meanwhile, COA flagged DepEd for its failure to make use of more than three million pieces of textbooks and other learning materials for distribution to public schools nationwide.
In a 2018 audit report, state auditors said the unused books and learning materials had cost the government at least P113 million.
Out of the 3.4 million idle items, 440,591 were procured in 2014, 1.6 million in 2015, 1.2 million in 2016 and 128,111 in 2017.