DepEd recovers P65 million from schools in voucher program
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education has recovered around P65 million from private schools involved in irregularities in the senior high school voucher program.
According to a DepEd statement on Wednesday, March 26, the government has demanded refunds from a total of 54 private schools that were terminated from the voucher program following investigations into claims made during school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
Of these schools, 38 have fully refunded the government, while two have made partial refunds. The remaining 14 schools have yet to return the funds and will be issued final demand letters.
"We are taking decisive steps to strengthen our validation processes, hold erring schools accountable, and restore public trust in the SHS Voucher Program," Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
DepEd opened an investigation last month into "ghost students" or undocumented beneficiaries in the senior high school voucher program, wherein some private schools have been suspected of claiming subsidies for non-existent or ineligible students.
Investigations. Lawmakers also probing the issue have also discovered lapses in DepEd's verification of the list of students that schools submit as voucher beneficiaries.
The voucher program — launched in 2015 — provides subsidies to qualified Grade 11 and 12 students in participating private schools. Rather than giving cash directly to students, DepEd disburses the funds to the schools where the beneficiaries are enrolled.
The department noted that further investigation is needed to determine whether the "financial irregularities" spotted from the 54 schools "constitute fraud."
In the previous school year (2023-2024),12 schools are under DepEd, while three schools flagged by the Government Assistance and Subsidies Service (GASS) have been referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for investigation.
Enhanced oversight. The department has implemented additional oversight measures for the current school year (2024-2025) in coordination with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), its co-implementor for the voucher program.
These include cross-referencing and verification of information, conducting 100% system audits, and making random field visits to participating private schools.
Regional and schools division offices have been mobilized to carry out inspections and submit detailed reports to the Central Office.
Angara said these interventions have already prevented the release of more questionable claims.
“We are taking decisive steps to strengthen our validation processes, hold erring schools accountable, and restore public trust in the SHS Voucher Program,” Angara said.
DepEd plans to establish a billing schedule for school year 2025-2026 to "streamline the disbursement process."
Beyond financial oversight, DepEd's private education office is working on strengthening regulatory compliance for the recognition of senior high schools, while its information and communications technology office is "enhancing digital safeguards, including features on audit trail, automated email notifications for system changes, and a full school history of learners."
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