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DepEd to try quick fix, warranty for teachers’ outdated laptops
FILE: Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson Michael Poa at the DepEd central office in Pasig City on Thursday (August 4, 2022). (PNA photo by Alfred Frias)
MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Wednesday it will either do a “quick fix” or avail of the warranty for the allegedly “pricey” laptops that the agency had bought for its distance learning program.
In a press briefing at the DepEd central office in Pasig City, Education spokesperson Michael Poa said they will also “closely coordinate” with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) over the laptop purchase which the Commission on Audit had earlier flagged.
“We will use a two-pronged approach. First, let’s evaluate and see if these laptops are truly slow and do an internal quick fix in the department, if we have one, to help the teachers,” he said.
“The second is legal in nature. If these computers are slow and not at par with what we wanted, these computers, as I understand, are still under warranty so we will invoke the warranty provision in our contract with our laptop suppliers ,” he added.
Poa said they also wanted to know why the laptops, worth PHP58,300 each but with relatively lower specifications, were procured instead of those with higher specifications.
He, however, said it would still be unfair to comment without having seen the documentation of the purchase.
“I’m sure when the PS-DBM did our market-survey quotation, when they determined the bid price, that’s backed with documentation because that’s required for the procurement. But on our side, we don’t have that document on hand,” he said, adding that the DepEd has requested the documents from the PS-DBM.
Poa said the PS-DBM was “very cooperative” with their request and vowed to look into the matter.
The DepEd previously said it has sent its responses to the recommendations of the COA, but maintained that the latter’s Annual Observation Memorandum on the laptop purchase is not conclusive and remains an observation.
Hannah Sheila
August 10, 2022 at 9:31 PM
I hope DepEd would not just “try” to have it replace but have it guaranteed for those laptops to be replace for it’s one of the vital instruments needed in our educational system today. Laptop can be regarded as the sword if we were in a war and if the sword is too dull it wont make any impact to the target therefore if our teachers cannot have the appropriate device or tool to make an impact all money and time invested by the student and teachers daily at school or at home would be just as useless if they cannot be at par to what they are suppose to be teaching. As our national hero state “Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan” I hope this words would echo to DepEd that we should prioritize our educational system in the country for the students would be the vital instruments towards a better future!
RENE ROSE ORIOL
August 11, 2022 at 2:35 AM
Sayang nman ang perang ginastos para ibili ng mga Laptop na yan.ang tanong bkit bumili ang DEPED ng Laptop na palpak ndi ba nila ito sinuri at pinag aralang mabuti kung mapagkakatiwalaan ang Supplier at mukhang over Pricing pa. Maraming Guro ang nagtitiis para lang magampanan ang kanilang tungkulin at trabaho.Ang Edukasyon ang daan upang makamit ntin ang ating mga Pangarap .kaya dapat ayusin agad ng DepEd ang problemang kanilang kinahaharap. Bago magsimula ang Face to Face ibalik na lang sa Supplier. At maghanap ng mas maayos Laptops.Ang mga Guro ang nagdurusa at mga Estudyante.Mabagal na nga ang Internet sa Pilipinas tpos defectibo pa ang Laptop.Paano makakapagturo ng maayos ang mga Guro ano nang matutunan ng Estudyante
Cecille Moreno
August 11, 2022 at 6:51 AM
Overpricing at its best!!!Some government officials are really good in wasting the country’s taxes for their own gains!!58,300 php per laptop with low efficiency rate is really ridiculous! Investigation and pointing out who is responsible for conducting such acts is needed on this.
Reynaldo Leo
August 11, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Still, DEPED should be fine for these issues. What a mess that they give a teacher worth over 57k pesos of laptop that is powered by low class chip, a intel Celeron in which they should instead buy a much reliable and faster computer sets or high end laptops. This is also our money, why does they don’t care at all that they just wasting it for nothing and none of this will happen if DEPED alone secured the gadgets for the teachers. As we can see, that other says, and edukadong tao ay mas magnanakaw at mas madumi pang kumilos kesa sa mga hindi edukado.
May-May
August 11, 2022 at 11:42 AM
The money used to purchase those laptops was a waste. Why did the DEPED purchase a laptop that they carelessly examined to determine whether the supplier was reliable and that appears to be overpriced? Just to carry out their obligations and work, many teachers endure suffering. We can achieve our goals through education. DepEd should therefore immediately address the issue they are having.
Veria Balatbat
August 11, 2022 at 8:34 PM
Gayunpaman, dapat pagmultahin ang DEPED para sa mga isyung ito. Ang gulo na binibigay nila sa isang guro na nagkakahalaga ng mahigit 57k pesos na laptop na pinapagana ng mababang klaseng chip, isang intel Celeron kung saan dapat bumili sila ng mas maaasahan at mas mabilis na mga computer set o high end na laptop. Ito rin ang pera natin, bakit wala silang pakialam na sinasayang lang nila ito sa wala at walang mangyayari kung DEPED lang ang nag-secure ng gadgets para sa mga guro. Sa nakikita natin, sabi nga ng iba, at ang mga edukado ay mas magnanakaw at mas madumi ang kilos kaysa sa mga walang pinag-aralan.