'Height of injustice': Gatchalian flags more educ service contracting beneficiaries are non-poor

The height of injustice. This is how Senator Win Gatchalian described the slot allocations of the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) for beneficiaries, the majority of whom hail from non-poor households.

The senator's office analyzed data from the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) 2020 and 2022 and found that for School Year 2020-2021, 68% of ESC recipients were from non-poor households or those whose incomes are above or equal to the per capita threshold. For School Year 2019-2020, 59% were from non-poor households.

The ESC is a partnership program of the Department of Education (DepEd) that seeks to decongest overcrowded public junior high schools. Under the program, the government shoulders the tuition and other fees of excess students in public schools who enter private schools contracted by the DepEd.

Gatchalian added that these figures reflect the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) in 2018. In a Performance Audit Report, state auditors recommended that the DepEd should ensure that the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) prioritize underprivileged learners. The ESC is a program under GASTPE.

Based on higher end estimates from the senator's office, the leakage from the ESC program is worth P8.6 billion.

"To me this is the height of injustice. Humihingi tayo ng pondo, binibigay natin sa hindi mahihirap. And as taxpayers, we're subsidizing the non-poor," said Gatchalian during a hearing on the implementation of the 'Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act' (Republic Act No. 8545) or the e-GASTPE law.

"The spirit of the law is already giving priority to the poorest of the poor. And I think it's embedded in all of us. We all know that resources are scarce, we all know that during budget season, we fight for resources, and from the meager resources that we get, the allocation should be prioritizing the poor," Gatchalian said.

Atty. Tara Rama, Director III from the DepEd's Government Assistance and Subsidies Office (GASO), confirmed that under the 2017 ESC guidelines do not strictly mandate prioritization of the poor. She said, however, that the GASO is taking the lead to revise the ESC guidelines.

Gatchalian concluded by recommending the prioritization of the poor in government subsidy programs to private school learners. He also mulls amendments to the e-GASTPE law.

Gatchalian ikinagulat na mas maraming benepisyaryo ng educ service contracting ay hindi mahihirap

Hindi makatarungan. Ganito inilarawan ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang paglalaan ng slots para sa mga benepisyaryo ng Educational Service Contracting (ESC) na karamihan, ayon sa datos, ay mula sa non-poor households.

Sinuri ng tanggapan ng senador ang datos mula sa Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) 2020 and 2022 at natuklasang para sa School Year 2020-2021, 68% ng mga ESC recipients ay galing sa mga non-poor households o iyong mga pamilyang ang kabuuang kita ay lagpas o katumbas ng per capita threshold. Para sa School Year 2019-2020, 59% ay galing din sa mga non-poor households.

Ang ESC ay isang partnership program ng Department of Education (DepEd) na layong solusyunan ang congestion o bawasan ang siksikan sa mga mga public junior high school. Sa ilalim ng programa, babayaran ng gobyerno ang matrikula at ibang bayarin ng mga mag-aaral na mapipiling benepisyaryo mula sa mga pampublikong paaralan upang pumasok sa mga pribadong paaralang kinontrata ng DepEd.

Ayon kay Gatchalian, sinasalamin ng mga numerong nabanggit ang naging ulat ng Commission on Audit (COA) noong 2018. Sa isang Performance Audit Report, nirekomenda ng komisyon sa DepEd na tiyaking bibigyang prayoridad sa Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) ang mga nangangailangang mag-aaral. Ang ESC ay isang programang nasa ilalim ng GASTPE.

Batay sa pagsusuri ng tanggapan ng senador, maaaring umaabot na sa P8.6 bilyon ang leakage mula sa ESC program o iyong pondong napunta sa mga hindi mahihirap.

"Para sa akin, hindi makaratarungan ito. Humihingi tayo ng pondo, binibigay natin sa hindi mahihirap. At bilang mga taxpayers, lumalabas na pinopondohan natin sa programa ang hindi mahihirap," ani Gatchalian sa isang pagdinig sa pagpapatupad ng 'Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act' (Republic Act No. 8545) o ng e-GASTPE law.

"Intensyon ng batas na bigyang prayoridad ang mga mahihirap. Para sa akin, likas na sa atin yun. Alam naman nating kulang ang pondo at tuwing budget season, palagi nating ipinaglalaban ang mga panukalang pondo natin, at mula sa limitadong natatanggap natin, dapat bigyan natin ng prayoridad ang mga mas nangangailangan," ani Gatchalian.

Kinumpirma ni Atty. Tara Rama, Director III ng Government Assistance and Subsidies Office (GASO), na sa ilalim ng ESC guidelines mula sa taong 2017, hindi mandato kundi 'preference' lamang ang binibigay sa mga mahihirap na mag-aaral para mapiling benepisyaryo ng programa. Gayunpaman, inaayos na ng GASO ngayong taon ang rebisyon ng naturang guidelines.

Sa pagtatapos ng pagdinig, inirekomenda ni Gatchalian na bigyang prayoridad ang mga mahihirap sa mga tulong pinansyal sa mga pribadong paaralan. Balak din ng senador na amyendahan ang e-GASTPE law.