Politics · Philippines Bureau
DepEd Voucher Program Audit Uncovers Nearly P1 Million in Questionable Payouts
The Commission on Audit has identified unverifiable beneficiaries in the Department of Education's voucher scheme for the 2025-26 school year, flagging an overpayment of P938,000 in government assistance. The discrepancies stem from beneficiaries who either dropped out, transferred schools, or failed to enroll.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Commission on Audit (COA) has raised concerns over a significant number of unverifiable beneficiaries in the Department of Education's voucher assistance program for school year 2025-26, citing an overpayment totaling P938,000.
The audit body was unable to confirm the eligibility and actual enrollment status of several program recipients. According to the COA's findings, the questionable beneficiaries had either withdrawn from school, moved to different educational institutions, or never completed their enrollment, yet continued to receive government voucher assistance.
The overpayment discovered during the audit process highlights potential gaps in the DepEd's verification and monitoring procedures for the voucher program, a key government initiative aimed at providing educational financial assistance to eligible students.
The COA's audit report underscores the need for stricter oversight mechanisms to ensure that government education funds reach only qualified beneficiaries and that proper documentation and verification procedures are maintained throughout the school year.
The Department of Education has not yet issued a public response to the COA's findings regarding the unverified beneficiaries and the extent of corrective measures it intends to implement for future program cycles.