With largest budget bid, ombudsman for DepEd pushed

With the Department of Education seeking the largest budget in its history — over P900 billion for 2026 — Rep. Chel Diokno (Akbayan Partylist) on Wednesday, September 3, urged the creation of a deputy ombudsman that will focus solely on complaints of corruption in education and social services.

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Weak oversight and years of underspending on key programs, such as the procurement and delivery of learning materials, shows there is a need for a dedicated watchdog in the sector, Diokno suggested during the House appropriation committee's deliberations of DepEd's spending plan for 2026.

"Of all the kinds of corruption that we could ever have in government, the worst is when it comes to education and social services," Diokno told Education Secretary Sonny Angara during the hearing.

"Yan 'yung dapat no touch at dapat wala talagang makikialam diyan pagdating sa corruption. Unfortunately...from where I stand, I don't see much initiative in that respect," the lawmaker added.

The call for enhanced oversight comes as DepEd continues to deal with a damning track record of inefficient spending and delivery of learning materials, problems that lawmakers say Angara has only inherited from previous administrations.

Angara became DepEd secretary in July 2024 following the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte from the position.

Duterte held the post for around two years and had succeeded former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, who has been charged with graft and falsification over the P2.4 billion overpriced laptops procured during the pandemic.

POOR DELIVERY OF TEXTBOOKS, MEALS

Diokno pointed out that in 2023 and 2024 — years when Duterte was education secretary — textbook disbursement rates were a measly 11% in 2023 and 17% in 2024.

School-based feeding programs fared only marginally better, with disbursement rates reaching just 48% in 2024.