The Department of Education (DepEd) said the pricing for laptops distributed to teachers can best be answered by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) which purchased the units.
“The Department only received the laptops from PS-DBM,” the DepEd said in a statement issued on Friday night.
“DepEd commits to work closely with the CoA (Commission on Audit) to ensure the continuous improvement of its services to the public,” it added.
Audit shows it all
The DepEd acknowledged the Commission on Audit’s 2021 Annual Report on the agency and is taking steps to address the recommendations presented, including the P2.4 billion for the laptop for teachers’ initiative in 2021.
CoA had flagged DepEd for purchasing P2.4 billion worth of old model and more expensive laptops through the DBM-PS.
State auditors noted that the purchase of the pricey laptops resulted in the procurement of fewer units, depriving thousands of teachers of the benefit.