DepEd criticized by teachers’ group over buying new service vehicles

On Monday, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) slammed the Department of Education (DepEd) for buying new service vehicles for its field engineers. ACT calls it the department's "own kind of dolomite scam." 

Photo credit: depedtambayan.org

ACT also said that it was an “insensible” use of funds at a time when teachers have been shouldering the costs of buying printers, bond papers and ink just to implement distance learning.

We were anguished with this insensible use of education money, especially when our teachers shoulder the costs for bond paper, ink, devices and internet connectivity needed just to make modular and online learning happen amid the pandemic,

ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said in a statement.

“This is the DepEd’s own kind of the dolomite scam,” he added, referring to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ artificial white-sand beach project in Manila Bay, which critics described as a waste of public funds.

Some 166 new units of Mitsubishi Strada GLS 4x4 MT were recently turned over to DepEd. This was on top of the 88 that the agency received in December 2019, which brings the total to 254 vehicles, figures matching with those in an October 1 memo by Undersecretary for Administration Alain Pascua.

Pascua defended DepEd saying that the department procured the 4x4 trucks, which costs P1.5 million per unit, even before the pandemic so DepEd personnel could reach schools in far-flung areas. He said that Mitsubishi won the competitive bidding and theirs were the lowest.

However, Basilio said it was not an excuse if the department had purchased the vehicles before the pandemic since “shortages” in basic learning needs have long troubled the education system. The group cries out for teachers who make use of their own money and swallow their pride to ask for donations just to be able to produce and print the needed modules for their students.