It’s back to Filipino and English, from kinder to Grade 3 classes

[Tommy T.]

9 hours ago, GeoffH said:

I wonder if that's where the laptops and printers came from that are in all of the classrooms at the children's school?

Interesting.... Nothing from that distribution went to the large, public high school where my partner, L teaches.

[hk blues]

19 hours ago, GeoffH said:

I wonder if that's where the laptops and printers came from that are in all of the classrooms at the children's school?

I distinctly recall reading an article not that long ago about how so many of those laptops were still being held in storage due to some dispute over shipping costs i.e. who was going to cover the transportation fees. 

[Mike J]

13 hours ago, hk blues said:

I distinctly recall reading an article not that long ago about how so many of those laptops were still being held in storage due to some dispute over shipping costs i.e. who was going to cover the transportation fees. 

You are correct.  The government purchased the computers at inflated prices suggesting someone got a big kickback.  AND it gets worse.  Going from memory but didn't the warehouse start selling the computers and equipment for pennies on the dollar because the storage fees were not being paid?   

[Mike J]

7 minutes ago, Mike J said:

You are correct.  The government purchased the computers at inflated prices suggesting someone got a big kickback.  AND it gets worse.  Going from memory but didn't the warehouse start selling the computers and equipment for pennies on the dollar because the storage fees were not being paid?   

Found an article.  The computers are still there.  Son of a ....  I am just so pissed off right now.  After that huge bruha, nothing changed.  WTH

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/09/03/2382569/15-million-deped-laptops-items-stuck-warehouses-2020-angara

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 11:35 a.m.) — More than 1.5 million Department of Education items, including laptops, books, and classroom furniture, have been sitting in warehouses undelivered since 2020, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Monday.

During the House appropriations committee's deliberations of DepEd's proposed P793-billion budget for 2025, Angara bared that he was surprised to learn of the stockpiled equipment upon being briefed.

"I was surprised to find out that the equipment there has already been four years old, since they have been there since 2020," Angara said in a mix of English and Filipino.

"So, we contacted the Air Force and others to help us remove them... We're doing our best to get them out so that the materials don't deteriorate," the DepEd chief said, adding that they aim to get the items out by end-September. 

Angara took over the department in July. He succeeded Vice President Sara Duterte who stepped down from the office she occupied since 2022. Leonor Briones served as secretary from 2016 to 2022 under Duterte's father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Angara told lawmakers about the undelivered items upon being asked by Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers party-list) about the status of the department's computerization program.

Castro asked DepEd for an update after the Commission on Audit (COA) highlighted delays, non-delivery and inefficiencies in the program in its 2023 report on the agency. 

Omar Romero, DepEd's undersecretary for legal affairs, said 90% of the goods remaining in the department's third-party logistics partner have been pulled out and being prepared for distribution by the regional and school district offices.

The value of digital devices like laptops typically decreases by about 5% per month, according to IT experts. This means they are commonly depreciated beyond their useful life after three years.

Inefficiencies
DepEd's computerization program — which aims to provide all public schools with complete computer packages — has been repeatedly flagged by state auditors over the years due to its inefficient implementation.

According to COA's audit report of DepEd in 2019, only 8,523 out of the 14,342 targeted schools received ICT packages under the computerization program from 2015 to 2019. State auditors said this was caused by inefficiencies in the procurement process and logistical challenges, including supplier delays and some schools' unreadiness to receive and store the materials.

Besides facing problems with the timely delivery of computer packages, the department is also not procuring equipment fast enough despite having the funds for it. 

On Monday, Rep. Jinky Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District) pointed out that DepEd only spent P2.75 billion out of the P11 billion that was allocated for its computerization program in 2023, based on state auditors' documents.

In contrast, Rep. Stella Quimbo (Marikina City) said the department had rapidly spent P112.5 million of its confidential funds in 2023 with an efficiency rate of 143%.

Edited November 4 by Mike J

[scott h]

57 minutes ago, Mike J said:

The computers are still there

Frankly I think they make little difference in the overall picture. computers are nice, internet is nice, air-conditioned classrooms are nice but to be the deciding factor?  There needs to be a cultural emphasis on education, not lip service.

After all, Abe Lincoln learned in a log cabin by firelight and became a lawyer then president. 

 

[Mike J]

7 minutes ago, scott h said:

After all, Abe Lincoln learned in a log cabin by firelight and became a lawyer then president. 

But that was over 150 years ago.

[scott h]

4 minutes ago, Mike J said:

But that was over 150 years ago

Very true, but there is something to be said about drive, determination and societal influence. And after talking with youngsters even back in the states, I don't think this is a purely Filipino problem. 

[Tommy T.]

1 hour ago, scott h said:

Very true, but there is something to be said about drive, determination and societal influence. And after talking with youngsters even back in the states, I don't think this is a purely Filipino problem. 

A side note slightly off topic... I recently read online and also saw news reports on TV that in USA the next generation (Z?) has started to eschew college and university degrees altogether. In part it is due to the extreme costs - along with the years of debt - and also because they realized that work in the trades can be as or even more lucrative than white collar work. Think about the plumber or electrician who makes a house call and charges maybe $50-100 just to show up before any work is done? And then the meter is running for their time on site.... at maybe $50-100 again, now per hour.

There was another article I read online stating that young workers between, I think 19 and 27 believe they need salaries of upwards of $70k annually to live.

[Mike J]

20 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Think about the plumber or electrician who makes a house call and charges maybe $50-100 just to show up before any work is done? And then the meter is running for their time on site.... at maybe $50-100 again, now per hour.

A fairly length list which includes: Machinist, Welder, Carpenter, HVAC installer, Mechanic, Mason, Carpet/Tile installation, Sales, Solar installation, etc.