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HOUSE JUSTIFIES P10-B DEPED BUDGET CUT AMID FUND MISMANAGEMENT CLAIMS The House contingent to the Bicameral Conference Committee on the proposed 2025 budget defended its decision to slash ₱10 billion from the Department of Education's (DepEd) 2025 computerization budget, citing inefficiencies and alleged fund mismanagement within the agency. 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez dismissed objections raised by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who had criticized the budget cut. "Secretary Angara may argue that education funding is sacrosanct, but Congress cannot keep throwing good money after bad. This is not about depriving education; it's about ensuring proper fund use and accountability," Gutierrez emphasized. "While it's unfortunate that Sec. Sonny inherited the problems and scandals left behind by his predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, Sec. Angara knows that the law is clear: unused funds must be accounted for before new allocations can be made. Now that he's education secretary, he should focus on fixing DepEd's internal mess instead of crying foul about budget decisions," he added. Gutierrez pointed to the Commission on Audit's (COA) findings, which revealed that DepEd spent only ₱2.075 billion of its ₱11.36 billion 2023 budget for ICT equipment, criticizing the agency for its delayed procurement process, calling it "negligence" rather than mere inefficiency. The issue of unfulfilled mandates was underscored by DepEd ICT Director Ferdinand Pitagan's admission in September that 12,022 laptops for teachers and 7,558 for non-teaching personnel remained undelivered by the end of 2023. "And that's just for 2023, we're not even talking about the computerization budget for 2024 and the year is almost over," Gutierrez noted. The Department also faced backlash over the laptop procurement scandal during Vice President Sara Duterte's term, where overpriced units were purchased without meeting the needs of schools. "The excuses are wearing thin," Gutierrez said. "We know it's extremely difficult for Secretary Angara to defend DepEd's lack of action when the Philippines is already at rock bottom in global education rankings. A teacher-to-computer ratio of 30:1 is unacceptable and we have VP Sara to blame for it." The Philippines ranked 76th out of 81 countries in reading and mathematics in the 2023 PISA assessment. Analysts argue that DepEd's delays in delivering ICT resources exacerbate the crisis. With the education sector facing significant challenges, lawmakers maintain that the budget cut is not an attack on education, but rather a wake-up call for DepEd to prioritize effective governance over bloated budgets.