DepEd to address teachers’ slow laptops

The Department of Education (DepEd) assured this Wednesday that it would address teachers’ complaints about slow laptops.

According to DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa, they will contact the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), which bought the laptops.

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The agency can also insist on the warranty provision in purchasing laptops and can allegedly find a way to upgrade the specifications or replace them.

In the DepEd’s proposed budget for 2023, he said, funds are also allocated for providing learning materials, including gadgets.

In addition, DepEd is also requesting the details of such procurement from PS-DBM.

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Poa said that they do not yet have the documents that are the basis of PS-DBM for the purchase of laptops, so it is difficult for them to respond to the Commission on Audit’s comment that the laptops are overpriced or too expensive.

It can be remembered that DepEd’s procurement request was at P35,000 per unit, but PS-DBM purchased the laptop at P58,300 per unit price.

It is said to have been purchased through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM-PS), although there are many cheaper and better options on the market.

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Due to the higher price of the purchased laptops (P58,300), many  did not benefit, numbering 28,917, COA said. Intel Celeron is said to be the processor of computers.

DepEd to address teachers’ slow laptops

Meanwhile, the DepEd is scheduled to issue a department order regarding the precautions schools should take against the possible infection of COVID-19.

It can be remembered that the OCTA Research Group also warned that cases might increase again when children go back to school.

According to Poa, they respect the OCTA’s comment, but it stood with a study that said in-person classes had nothing to do with the increase in cases of COVID-19.

It is said that most of the Philippines’ neighboring countries have returned to face-to-face classes.

Right now, it is left up to the schools to have an infection containment strategy or response plan when some students test positive for COVID-19.

DepEd will set up an Oplan Balik Eskwela command center on August 15 to respond to emergencies or issues during the opening of classes on August 22.

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