The Commission on Audit (CoA) has called out the Department of Education (DepEd) over various issues in the repair and rehabilitation of public school buildings, such as poor construction and low quality furniture.

The 2023 report showed that in various schools in DepEd Region 3 (San Fernando, Pampanga), the roofing sheet used for the conservation and restoration of the Gabaldon School Building Project, worth a total of P60.6 million, was only 0.4 mm thick compared to the required 0.6 mm thick corrugated galvanized roof.

In Calaguan Elementary School in Kalinga, state auditors observed that there was scaling on the finished floor line in the classroom due to poor construction methods, while the formation of handwashing facilities in various schools in the Cordillera Administrative Region, costing P1.7 million, lacked service connections.

CoA noted that some faucets remain uninstalled, while others are defective or broken, defeating the purpose of the projects.

The auditing body likewise found that the procured pieces of furniture for DepEd Regional Office V (Legazpi City, Albay) were of low quality.

“Poor fabrication of the chair’s steel supports and visible scratches on the tabletop and main frame of the tables may lead to quicker wear and tear and easily broken furniture,” the CoA noted.

Auditors also discovered that the adjustable glide (cover cap) of tables and chairs easily falls off and is lost, thus resulting in uncomfortable use of tables and chairs, accidental tipping, and damage to floors.

Meanwhile, other school furniture, including tables and chairs, were either left in unsecured premises or open and unsecured areas where people simply passed by.

“This manner of storing or safekeeping the delivered school furniture exposes the items to damage and possible loss,” the CoA stated.

The projects were under the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF), an annual budget of the DepEd intended for the improvement and maintenance of school facilities, such as the provision, repair, and rehabilitation of classrooms, including heritage buildings, replacement of old dilapidated buildings, provision of furniture and fixtures, as well as water and sanitation facilities, and electrification.

The lapses noted by the CoA in the implementation of the 2023 BEFF cover Vice President Sara Duterte’s first full year in office during her stint as Education secretary. She resigned in July this year.