DepEd respects Marcos veto of special provision budget

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) said it respects the decision of President Marcos to veto a special provision in its 2023 budget.

“The DepEd recognizes and respects the veto power of the President,” DepEd spokesman Michael Poa said in a message to reporters late Wednesday night.

Earlier, lawmakers approved a provision in the DepEd’s proposed budget for a revolving fund of DepEd TV, an initiative launched to complement blended learning implemented at the height of the pandemic.

“The revolving fund constituted from all income earned in DepEd TV and corresponding disbursements shall be properly accounted for and recorded in the books of accounts of the implementing units,” read the vetoed provision.

“The revolving fund shall be separately recorded and deposited in an authorized government depository bank, and considered self-perpetuating and self-liquidating. All eligible obligations or expenditures incurred for the operations of the foregoing activities shall be charged against the revolving fund. In no case shall said fund be used for the payment of discretionary and representation expenses,” it added.

The provision also stated that “engagement with persons or entities concerning any income that may be generated by or in connection with the DepEd TV, as well as disbursements therefrom, shall be made in accordance with existing law and applicable budgeting, accounting, auditing, and procurement rules and regulations.”

But according to Marcos, he was obliged to veto the provision considering that there is no law authorizing DepEd to establish a revolving fund for the purpose.

“Moreover, the DepEd TV is not a business-type activity of the DepEd, which may be considered within the contemplation of the General Provision on Revolving Funds in the FY 2023 GAA, which permits the establishment of a revolving fund from receipts derived from business-type activities,” added the President.

The DepEd has yet to release details of its plans on how it would handle DepEd TV funds, following the President’s veto of the revolving fund.

Aside from the direct veto of DepEd TV’s revolving fund, several provisions in the DepEd budget were also among those subjected by Marcos under conditional implementation.

These include those related to basic education facilities, alternative learning system and maintenance and other operating expenses allocation for schools.

Marcos said these programs shall be implemented in accordance to existing laws, guidelines, policies and regulations.

The DepEd received a total of P676 billion new appropriations budget next year, up from this year’s P591 billion.