Undelivered DepEd laptops include units procured in 2017 — Angara

MANILA, Philippines — Some of the laptops of the Department of Education that have been stuck in warehouses since 2020 include units procured in 2017, Secretary Sonny Angara said on Tuesday, September 10.

During the Senate finance committee's deliberations of the DepEd's proposed 2025 budget, Angara said the undelivered laptops were purchased from contracts dating from 2017 to 2019 and have remained stuck in warehouses for at most four years due to logistical issues.

While DepEd can still find a use for the old units, Angara told his former colleagues that these will not at par with newer laptops.

"Definitely they're older models, but according to our IT, these can be repurposed or rebooted," he said.

"Of course, it won't be as good as the newer computers," Angara added.

Angara earlier told the House of Representatives during DepEd's budget briefing there that 1.5 million DepEd items have been stuck in different storage facilities since 2020 and 2021. This includes an undetermined number of laptops and computer packages procured primarily for teachers' or classrooms' use.

RELATED: 1.5 million DepEd laptops, items stuck in warehouses since 2020 – Angara

Besides laptops, an undisclosed number of school furniture and textbooks have also been gathering dust in these warehouses since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DepEd secretary earlier informed House lawmakers that the department plans to clear out the warehouses by end-September.

To date, over 50% of the computer packages have been retrieved from the warehouses, Angara said. However, only 10% of furniture and other large items have been removed. 

"Since the news came out we've received offers from [local government units] to take the items out of our hands... That will help us speed up the removal of the items from the warehouse," Angara said.

"The IT equipment has a lifespan and we may be exceeding that lifespan if we do not act quickly on it," the DepEd secretary said.

Digital devices such as laptops typically lose about 5% of their value each month, meaning they are commonly depreciated past their useful life after approximately three years, according to IT experts.

Logistics issue

Angara explained that the 1.5 million items got held up in warehouses due to a botched agreement with DepEd's old logistics provider, Transpac Logistics.

Previously, in DepEd's old system, the company that won the bid to supply items, like laptops, was also responsible for delivering them. This meant the supplier handled both the provision of items and getting them to their destinations.

Under former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, a new system was introduced where a separate logistics company takes care of the delivery. This means one company supplies the items, and another company, specializing in transportation and delivery, handles the logistics.  

Angara said it is time to do away with Briones' "innovation" and to revert to the old system of having the winning bidder handle the delivery.

"Given that we're going to engage in early procurement activities, they will also take care of the warehouse and delivery... We will provide enough allowance for them to deliver on time for first day of school in 2025," the former Senate finance panel chair said.

DepEd's perennial delivery woes

DepEd's failure to deliver school materials promptly — resulting in unused items left to gather dust in warehouses — has been flagged by the Commission on Audit in previous years.

In its 2022 audit report, state auditors flagged DepEd for its failure to distribute some P1.2 billion worth of science and mathematics equipment and millions worth of tools and equipment used by technical vocational students, among others.  

Around P1 billion of school furniture was also reportedly not picked up from three suppliers, racking up P11 million in warehousing fees.

RELATED: DepEd's budget blunders stir teachers' memories of pandemic hardships