The Department of Education (DepEd) is working to address concerns raised by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding its School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP). COA flagged delays in the implementation of the program and found issues with the quality and storage of food items.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban confirmed that 192 out of 218 Schools Division Offices (SDOs) successfully completed the program without any issues. However, 26 SDOs faced findings, with 16 already resolved. The remaining 10 SDOs are expected to submit reports within the week, with their issues also anticipated to be resolved.
Galban stated that DepEd has received a printed copy of the FY2023 Consolidated Annual Audit Report (CAAR) and is currently working on a comprehensive response. The department is coordinating with regional offices and audit teams to finalize an “Agency Action Plan and Status of Implementation” (AAPSI), which will be submitted to COA by the end of October 2024.
This update comes as COA also highlighted P12.3 billion in disallowances, suspensions, and charges against DepEd. The agency further reported that only 192 out of 6,379 classrooms built by DepEd in 2023 were completed.
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