August 23, 2018
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has clarified that issues involving doubtful and fictitious scholarship beneficiaries did not occur during the present administration.
The statement was issued by TESDA Director General, Secretary Guiling “Gene” A. Mamondiong as a response to a COA audit report which found that TESDA paid P9.3 million for JAVA and Software Development NC IV training for 310 scholars and P1.47 million for 270 scholars enrolled in Barista NC ll and Bartending NC ll courses in allegedly non-existent schools.
COA identified Ama Computer College (AMACC) Manila Campus and Technivoc Institute Corporation (TIC) as among those campuses with alleged irregularities.
“It happened in 2015 and it was only discovered in 2016. The money has been refunded and deposited to the Bureau of Treasury,” Mamondiong said.
Mamondiong also said that the agency has taken steps to prevent corruption and other irregularities in the future.
Before he became head of TESDA in 2016, Mamondiong admits that he already heard of these alleged irregularities in the agency involving ghost scholars in training centers nationwide.
When Mamondiong was appointed TESDA chief, he immediately created a Technical Audit Team that visited the 4,283 schools nationwide with registered programs under TESDA to inspect if they were operating based on the rules and regulations set by the agency. The same team also verified if the schools have the capacity in terms of equipment and trainers to conduct technical-vocational (tech-voc) training programs. As a result of National Technical Audit and inspection, 175 training centers and 6,273 programs were closed.
TESDA also created the National Inspectorate for Scholarship Program (NISP) which conducted inspection and spot checks in all technical vocational institutions in the country that are implementing scholarship programs of the agency to ensure that there are no ghost scholars. The agency is now looking into the results of the in inspection and it will be released soon.
On August 30, 2017, TESDA declared to Rodrigo Duterte the agency is corruption-free.
In 2017, the TESDA chief conducted public consultations in all regions and provinces and announced a Php 50,000 reward for anyone who could provide any information regarding illicit activities and irregularities involving the agency.
“To this date, nobody has come forth with any substantiated complaints regarding this matter," Mamondiong.
Share this page
