WHILE public schools in the country have to contend with the scarcity of facilities, printing machines worth more than P6 million are said to be unused and deteriorating for nearly three years since it was acquired by the Department of Education (DepEd).
The purchase of the said equipment— a printer and two digital pressed machines— were reportedly the subject of an audit report by the Commission on Audit (COA) for alleged irregularities and questionable bidding process.
The machines were brought during the time of then Secretary Jesli Lapus.
When sought by reporters to confirm whether the department has officially received the COA report and what they intend to do with it, Education chief Armin Luistro wasn’t able to give a categorical statement stressing “Ang daming problema sa DepEd, yan ba ang pagkaka-abalahan ko.”
He then added that Undersecretary for Finance Francisco Varela has been instructed to look into the matter.
Records showed that the Japanese-made large format printer worth P6 million and two other digital presses costing P24, 000 remain idle, non-operational and unusable since it has been acquired according to some DepEd employees.
The machines were purchased on the pretext of saving cost for printing material requirements and to standardize tarpaulin banners and signage of DepEd.
Reports have even alleged that the machines were acquired ‘in aid of election’ suggesting that it will be use for the printing materials of the candidates of the then ruling administration party, the Lakas-Kampi headed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2010 national elections.
Director Bernadette Narvasa— chief of DepEd Audio Visual Division and currently the Officer-in charge of the Printing Division— however belied the claim that no one knew how to operate the machine adding that her staff had already operated it for some of the department’s printing requirements.
According to Paul Soriano, DepEd Technical Services Director, the purchase of the machines was made to allow the department to standardize school signage at a much-lesser cost to the government.
He added that the equipment were intended help lessen the expenses of the department in outsourcing the printing of tarpaulins, other advertising banners (for DepEd seminars, trainings, conferences, workshops and conventions), identification cards of the employees and other printing job requirement of the department and its official newsletter Educ News.
Soriano did admit that some problems have prevented the full operation and use of the machines however claiming that they are in constant communication with its supplier Hewlett Packard.
The department’s Education, Information Division— in charge of producing Educ News— will now have to resort to outsourcing job to print the newsletter. The bidding is set to take place this month for the printing of the materials that have been delayed for almost 10 months.
Maria Nikka U. Garriga, The Manila Times
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