Different private and government institutions exhibit their own variety of nutribuns and other healthy and nutritious snacks during the launching of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) of the Department of Education (DepEd) held at Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon City on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Department of Education (DepEd) for issues in its P5.69 billion School Based Feeding Program (SBFP) during the final year of Vice President Sara Duterte as its secretary.

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Based on COA's annual audit report for 2023, state auditors found 21 School Division Offices (SDOs) reported delayed implementation of regular and milk feeding components.

"The commitment to provide good nutrition to learners was not optimally achieved due to the following deficiencies that hampered the successful implementation of the program: a) delayed implementation of both Regular and Milk Feeding Components in 21 SDOs; b) non-compliance with the technical specifications and other deviations from the DepEd operational guidelines; and c) non-reprogramming of unutilized funds," it said.

"Moreover, payment of Nutritious Food Products (NFP) prior to delivery and other lapses in the procurement as well as inspection and acceptance of deliveries were noted in audit," the report further read.

Among the goals of the SBFP is to provide nourishment for the growth and development of the intended learners and help boost their immune system.

It has two components which all beneficiaries must receive: the regular component of hot meals and the milk component (pasteurized/sterilized milk good for 33 feeding days).

But in DepEd offices in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Northern Mindanao, state auditors found issues in the quality, packing and expiration of some delivered food items.

The Aurora SDO said pests or insects were found inside the Karabun or milky buns and the squash nutribuns intended for students.

In Bulacan, the division reported rotten, unripe or crushed food items among those delivered to them. The report also cited Bulacan and Meycauyan City for not conducting feeding activities daily.

In Misamis Oriental, 1,001 pieces of E-Nutribun delivered from September 2023 to January 2024 were sent back to the suppliers for replacement because they had molds and discoloration one to two days before expiration.

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Some items delivered were reported to be in poor condition due to packaging issues.

The COA also found that the students who were supposed to receive the nutribuns were not available or absent, resulting in the food items being given to other learners. The teachers explained their decision, citing spoilage concerns.

The Iligan SDO found "irreconcilable expiry dates," since the October 26, 2023 date on the individual items was three days earlier than the ones printed on the boxes. It was also noted that the product manufacturing date could not easily be read.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City SDO reported root crops and fruits were not individually packed in cling wrap or paper and that some food items were smaller or lighter than required in the contract. State auditors also flagged Quezon City for distribution of more than the required quantity and for not giving other food items as scheduled.

The COA report showed that 21 SDOs across the country did not receive milk on time or not at all: Mandaluyong City, Pasig City, Ifugao, Baguio City, Benguet, La Union, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Camarines Sur, Zamboanga City, Bukidnon, Valencia City, Malaybalay, Tagum City, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Agusan del Norte, Butuan City, Cabadbaran City, Surigao City and Surigao del Norte.

"The delayed implementation of the SBFP may result in non-completion of the full cycle of the feeding program for its targeted beneficiaries, hence, the maximum benefits from the program may not be attained," the COA said.

State auditors issued its recommendations to the SDOs concerned.

DEPED'S RESPONSE

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

For its part, the DepEd said it instructed an inspection team to conduct an ocular inspection of the food preparation site of the supplier of the insect-plagued buns. It will also closely monitor the implementation of the SBFP in Aurora.

The DepEd in Quezon City also said it would incorporate extra options or alternatives in its menu to prevent sudden changes in food items.

Aside from these lapses, the COA also questioned the underutilization of SBFP funds by the Sultan Kudarat SDO worth P8,026,519.85 and the Bulacan SDO amounting to P691,323.10. State auditors said the underutilized funds 'deprived beneficiaries of the maximum benefits.'

In response, the SDOs committed to improve program execution and to monitor utilization of the funds to ensure full utilization.

State auditors also raised the full payment of Palawan SDO for nutritious food products (NFP) purchased for the SBFP implementation in 2022 despite the delayed delivery of goods.

In response, the accountant said the full payment was based on submitted documents and that the SDO Palawan received liquidated damages from the supplier on March 6,2024.

"The interest of the government was not protected and the attainment of the program objectives and the safety of the intended beneficiaries were put to risk due to non-conformance with specifications," the COA said.

"The excess/remaining balance of SBFP continuing and current funds shall be used for the following priority purposes: Feed all learners present/enrolled in the school, prioritizing the lowest grade level, and other secondary beneficiaries," it added.

In a House budget hearing on Monday, lawmakers blasted DepEd over COA's findings, calling it "unacceptable."

DepEd said challenges include finding a local supply of milk to avoid spoilage. It also said the reported spoiled food would have to be replaced by the supplier at no additional cost to government.

Lawmakers called for an investigation on the lapses, including the possible blacklisting of erring suppliers.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, who assumed office just last month, was open to the suggestion to show suppliers they cannot keep on failing the government.

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