Dear Editor,

The recently released Commission on Audit (CoA) findings on the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) are deeply troubling and demand immediate attention from both our national leadership and the public.

It is unacceptable that over P1-billion worth of scholarship grants intended for Filipino students remained either unreleased, unclaimed, or were belatedly distributed, as reported by DAILY TRIBUNE.

I would like to thank this newspaper for reporting what no other media outlet has dared touch, as if CHEd Chairperson Prospero de Vera was some sort of sacred cow to them.

Let me emphasize that such delays and the non-distribution of the funds deprive scholars of much-needed financial assistance crucial for their educational pursuits.

According to CoA, CHEd’s failure to release P468 million to 430 higher education institutions and 183 scholars for nearly two years significantly undermined its mandate.

The excuses offered by CHEd — such as grantees graduating or dropping out — are simply lame to justify its systemic inefficiency under De Vera.

To add insult to injury, overpayments and double payments totaling P1.5 billion reflect poor internal controls and a lack of accountability within the agency.

This debacle speaks volumes about the leadership of De Vera. His inability to implement effective financial management systems, compounded by the lack of transparency in addressing these issues, is a disservice to both the scholars and the higher education institutions.

De Vera’s consistent unresponsiveness to legitimate concerns — as exemplified by his failure to comment on the CoA report and prior issues — is unbecoming of a public official tasked with safeguarding the future of young Filipinos.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must seriously consider replacing De Vera, despite the fixed term of a CHEd chairman. The CHEd leadership requires dynamism, transparency, and a genuine commitment to serve the public interest — qualities glaringly absent in the current administration of the commission.

The President owes it to the Filipino people to appoint someone capable of restoring public trust and ensuring the efficient and equitable distribution of educational funds.

The CoA report is not merely a critique of poor governance, it is a call to action. The excessive payments made to unqualified scholars and the irregularities in the disbursement process must be rectified immediately.

CHEd’s assurance of mitigating “human errors” trough new systems is a step in the right direction, but such promises ring hollow without decisive leadership to oversee their implementation.

Education is the backbone of our nation’s progress. It is imperative that the agencies tasked with its promotion are held to the highest standards of accountability. For the sake of our students and the future of our country, it is time for a leadership change at CHEd.

Lina Magadan

LMagadan@gmail.com