DepEd files raps vs. 7 schools over questionable SHS voucher claims

Ian Paolo Villacencio

The Department of Education (DepEd) has lodged criminal complaints against seven private schools accused of claiming subsidies for “ghost beneficiaries” under the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed the development during the agency’s budget briefing before the House Committee on Appropriations on September 3. 

“Finile na ho sa fiscal’s office ‘yan. At may demand letters tayo d’yan. May criminal cases tayo with the total amount involved of ₱61.9 million,” Angara justified.

The SHS Voucher Program, launched in 2015, was designed to ease overcrowding in public schools by allowing students from low-income families to enroll in private institutions with government subsidies ranging from ₱14,000 to ₱22,500.

“Ghost” beneficiaries, however, refer to voucher holders who were either ineligible for the first program or did not exist at all.

In previous inquiries, DepEd reported terminating the participation of several schools and withholding hundreds of millions in subsidies after discovering such anomalies.

Meanwhile, Angara said more schools may be charged as the department’s legal division continues to review cases. 

“We have a pending investigation in the legal department regarding similar situations. So we will update you as we go along,” the chair added.

Earlier this year, the department revealed that it had blocked ₱200 million worth of payments for about 22,000 ghost students in the school year 2023–2024 alone. 

In July, DepEd said it was also seeking to recover over ₱100 million in fraudulent claims, in addition to ₱65 million already refunded from schools removed from the program.

Despite the challenges, the education department stressed that the voucher program is still vital in helping underprivileged families and it continues to widen access to quality senior high school education while also reducing the strain on public schools.