172K laptops not enough, teachers' groups tell DepEd

Teachers' groups says the Department of Education's planned distribution of 172,654 laptops would still leave most public school teachers without government-provided devices, renewing calls for a laptop for every teacher and an end to out-of-pocket spending for work equipment
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The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines said the latest procurement, even when combined with previously contracted units, would fall short of meeting the needs of nearly 900,000 public school teachers.

“For decades, teachers and education support personnel have been forced to pay out of pocket for tools and resources that the government should rightfully provide,” ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said.

She said educators were effectively subsidizing the government's failure to provide basic work equipment despite already dealing with low salaries, heavy workloads and inadequate benefits.

Meanwhile, Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) welcomed the rollout but urged DepEd to prioritize classroom teachers, many of whom have borrowed money or repeatedly spent their own salaries to replace laptops needed for work.

TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas said some educators had borrowed money to buy laptops in previous years, only to find their devices deteriorating before the promised government equipment arrived.

Basas stressed that laptops, internet connectivity, printers and other electronic equipment were no longer optional conveniences but essential tools for teachers' everyday responsibilities, including preparing instructional materials, encoding grades, accomplishing reports and communicating with learners and parents.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said distribution of the 172,000 MacBook Neo units would begin on 9 November.

Of the 172,654 units, 169,008 are allocated for teachers and 3,646 for administrative personnel. DepEd said each laptop was procured for about P43,000, below Apple's P49,900 suggested retail price, and carries a five-year warranty.