Philippines reported multi-school enrollment fraud in education program

The Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) is facing scrutiny over issues related to the Senior High School (SHS) voucher program. A congressional hearing revealed that numerous students may have registered with multiple learning reference numbers (LRNs) across different schools. This situation raises concerns about the legitimacy of beneficiaries enrolled in the voucher system. Rep. Roman Romulo questioned the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) on why they did not use the Learner Information System (LIS) to validate student enrollments. The SHS voucher program, launched in 2015, aims to make education accessible for students from low-income families. Vouchers range from P14,000 to P22,500, allowing beneficiaries to attend private schools. PEAC has been under scrutiny recently, especially after DepEd terminated 55 schools from the program for various reasons that include claims of “ghost students.” Rod Malonzo, from PEAC, noted past issues prevented them from using the LIS efficiently. He acknowledged problems like multiple LRNs per student and instances of students enrolled in several schools. When questioned if these issues should have raised alarms, Malonzo confirmed they had reported such cases to DepEd since 2016. DepEd officials, however, did not comment directly on the previous administration’s management of the program. Concerns about ghost students have prompted further investigations. Rep. Raoul Manuel questioned the number of vouchers given to certain schools, which led to DepEd withholding P200 million due to discrepancies. While they cannot definitively label all affected students as ghost students, officials noted that some may have simply transferred schools. Currently, 12 private schools are being investigated for having students that cannot be verified. The DepEd has suspended voucher releases associated with these institutions, saving taxpayer money. Education Secretary Sonny Angara revealed a potential loss of over P52 million in the program, although specific schools involved were not disclosed.