THE Department of Education (DepEd) has said that it is taking the necessary steps to address the recommendations presented by the Commission on Audit (CoA) after it was reported that the department has procured entry-level laptops for teachers that are more expensive than the regular market prices
In its 2021 Audit Report, CoA flagged the price of the laptops that were procured by the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (PS-DBM) amounting to P58,300 each for 39,583 units of laptop computers for teachers to be used for online learning
The procurement is part of the funds allocated by Republic Act 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Recover As One Act” worth P2.4 billion.
According to state auditors, the laptops that were procured for the project were “too slow” as the processor used for them were Intel Celeron chips, which are already outdated, and the price of the laptops was too high based on the specifications as attached to the memorandum issued by the DepEd.
CoA asked why DepEd accepted the price per unit as part of the recommendations by the PS-DBM despite the fact that the estimated price based on DepEd’s approved Annual Procurement Plan is only P35,046.50.
In a statement late Friday, DepEd said that it acknowledged CoA’s annual report and is now taking steps to address the recommendations presented by the state auditor.
It also directed questions on the price of the laptops to the PS-DBM, as it was the procuring entity for the units and that DepEd only received the laptops from the PS-DBM.
“DepEd commits to working closely with CoA to ensure the continuous improvement of its services to the public,” it added.
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