RESOLVE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM WOES, GATCHALIAN TELLS DEPED

SENATOR Win Gatchalian has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) anew to address issues hounding the senior high school voucher program (SHS-VP), including ghost student beneficiaries and the failure to prioritize learners most in need. 

Gatchalian’s call followed the release of the Commission on Audit’s release of the DepEd’s 2026 annual audit report.The report flagged the lack of “clearly defined and standardized parameters” in assessing learners’ financial capacity. 

The state auditor pointed to instances involving beneficiaries such as unexplained absence during a monitoring visit;multiple listings in the same or another school, and having an “enrolled” status despite non-attendance in classes. 

In 2024, Gatchalian led a Senate inquiry, which found that P7.21 billion was spent on non-poor beneficiaries of the SHS-VP for School Year 2020-2021. He then urged the DepEd to prioritize the poorest learners in selecting SHS-VP beneficiaries. 

“Nakakadismayang malaman na nagpapatuloy pa rin ang ganitong klaseng mga problema sa pagpapatupad ng seniorhigh school voucher program, na dapat sana ay nakakatulong sa mga mag-aaral nating nangangailangan. Hindi na natin papayagang magpatuloy ito,” said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.