85 private techvoc schools face legal suits

MANILA, Philippines — At least 85 vocational schools in several regions nationwide face possible closure and legal suits for alleged corrupt practices.

Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) chief Guiling Mamondiong said he has ordered the cancellation of the certificate of registration of 85 technical vocation institutions (TVIs) for violating guidelines on the enforcement of scholarship programs.

TESDA’s National Inspectorate for Scholarship Programs (NISP) found the TVIs to have committed possible corrupt practices, Mamondiong said.

The NISP recommended the closure of the 43 TVIs and the cancellation of TESDA program registration for the 42 other TVIs.

Among the violations committed by the TVIs were hard-to-locate or erroneous school addresses; unreported change of location; unauthorized collection of fees; no students in attendance; and unreported closure of the program or training center.

Based on the NISP’s findings Mamondiong ordered the newly formed Validation Committee to conduct separate investigations into the alleged violations of the 85 TVIs. 

“The Validation Committee is tasked to verify the findings of the National Inspectorate for the Scholarship (NISP) and shall submit a report with its recommendation on May 7,” Mamondiong said.

TESDA will file appropriate charges against the 85 TVIs should the initial findings be confirmed.

Aside from the 85, TESDA is inspecting 467 more TVIs for compliance to the implementation guidelines of the scholarship program. 

The  NISP is expected to finish the inspection by April 30.

TESDA officials said they are exerting efforts to safeguard the funds and ensure their proper utilization since these have been allocated for the poor through  scholarship grants.

Mamondiong earlier formed the NISP to ensure that government funds for the scholarship program channeled through private vocational training centers are being utilized in accordance with the rules of TESDA.

Since 2016, TESDA has audited 18,288  scholarship programs or courses of TVIs nationwide.  Of these, 10,637 TVIs were found to be compliant with TESDA regulations, 572 were reported to have violated these regulations and 773 have been delisted.

TESDA is ready to give a P50,000 reward to anyone who could provide substantial information of any corrupt practices being committed within TESDA or any of its institutions.