Classrooms, schools put up in non-priority areas COA

MANILA, Philippines – A multi-million peso government program intended to address the lack of classrooms in public elementary and high schools in the country went to waste because the money did not go to the intended beneficiary schools, state auditors said.

A report of the Commission on Audit showed that the “School Building Program” of the Department of Education in 2007 had built classrooms in 1,329 schools that were not among the “priority sites” of the project.

The same report noted that a similar program aimed to address seat shortages also failed because more than 200,000 tables, chairs and armchairs were given to public schools with adequate seat provision.

The recently released COA report noted that the funds allocated for the School Building Program are not enough to cover completely all schools and so “prioritization is crucial.”

Because of this, the DepEd came up with a color-coded priority listing from 2004 to 2007 with schools under the “red and black code” having the top priority.

Schools under the gold, yellow and blue categories follow them.

A review showed that there are 2,293 elementary and 1,755 secondary schools, or a total of 4,048 schools categorized under the black and red category that should be given top priority for four consecutive school years.

But state auditors found that some of these schools did not benefit from the program.

“Acute classroom shortages in 2,929 schools were not addressed because school projects costing at least P597.796 million were implemented in 1,329 school sites which have the least need for school buildings/classrooms,” the COA report said.

“Our verification of the Regular School Building Program Priority Listing for CY 2004 to 2007 duly approved by the Schools Division Superintendents and the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) District Engineers with concurrence of the Congressional Representatives concerned disclosed that 1,329 recipient schools falling under the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th categories were included in the approved priority listings while 2,929 schools falling under the black and red spectrum were not among those listed,” the report said.

State auditors explained that the total cost of construction, repair, completion, replacement or rehabilitation of school buildings in 1,303 of the 1,329 schools reached P597.796 million.

“The classroom shortage could have been reduced had the total amount of P597.796 million been utilized for SBP projects under the black and red color spectrum and not on school sites falling under the 2nd, 3rd and 4th categories,” the COA report stated.

According to the report, regional DepEd officials said the problems were due to “inaccurate/unreliable/incomplete data” on instruction room analysis; the non-concurrence of congressmen with the DepEd prepared priority listings and the intervention of local government officials.

But apart from the constructed school buildings and classrooms, state auditors also noted problems concerning the “School Furniture Program” of the government.