Funds for indigenous folk misused - COA

MANILA, Philippines - Government funds for the Educational Assistance Program (EAP) of the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) in the country have been misused.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in a 2010 report, said some EAP beneficiaries were sons or daughters of the National Commission in Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) who can afford to send their children to school.

The audit team said NCIP’s screening and selection committee should ensure that only poor but deserving indigenous folk avail of the program.

“More qualified applicants could have availed of the scholarship program had the minimum requirements for admission been strictly followed by the implementers of the Educational Assistance Program in NCIP-Region 6,” COA said.

COA cited the irregular disbursement of EAP funds in Region 4 through approvals and fund releases based on incomplete documentation.

Audit teams also discovered that fund releases in Region 9 amounting to P5,621,838 was used to pay for other obligations rather than educational assistance.

The COA report noted that EAP should benefit ICCs enrolled in the elementary level, high school, vocational, college, as well as post-graduate courses.

“Ideally, the financial assistance covers the tuition fee, books and living allowance of every student grantee. Slot allocation depends on the approved budget of the program for the current fiscal year,” it said.