INSECT-infested or moldy nutribuns, rotting food items, unsanitary packaging, and food boxes with questionable manufacturing and expiry dates were reported in three regions in the 2023 audit of the Department of Education’s P5.69 billion School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP).
Likewise, 21 Schools Division Offices (SDOs) spread across 10 regions of the country reported delays or non-delivery of nutritious food products (NFP) and pasteurized milk.
The problematic contracts happened during the term of Vice President Sara Duterte who resigned as education secretary on July 19, 2024.
“Pest/insects were found inside Karabun/Milky bun and E-nutribun (squash) during the inspection of food commodities,” state auditors said, referring to the audit of SDO of Aurora, home province of new DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara.
From the Bulacan SDO, the audit team found deliveries of food items that were “either rotten, unripe or crushed.”
Both Bulacan and Aurora are in Region 3 (Central Luzon).
The worst observation came from the Misamis Oriental SDO: “1,001 pieces of E-nutribun delivered from September 2023 to January 2024 were returned to the suppliers for replacement due to the presence of molds and discoloration on the bread, 1 to 2 days before the expiry dates.”
Dubious markings were also discovered in nutritious food products delivered to the Iligan City SDO, where the boxes showed an expiry date of October 29, 2023 but markings on the products inside said they were only good until October 26, 2023.
“The product contains a manufacturing date which is not easily discernible and misrepresents, contrary to the terms of the contract. Hence, the supplier failed to meet the standard of the contract in providing a clear and readable manufacturing date,” the audit team said.
The Misamis Oriental SDO and Iligan City SDO are in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao).
In Metro Manila, the Quezon City SDO complained of poor packaging and delivery of food items that were smaller or lighter than what the contract specified.
“The root crops and fruits were not individually packed in cling wrap or paper. The weight of five food items purchased and distributed was below the prescribed serving size. Eight kinds of prescribed NFPs or alternatives were substituted with other food products,” auditors pointed out.
The SBFP was envisioned to enhance the growth and health of undernourished public school learners by providing them with nutritious food. The feeding program has two components — the NFP, which is either a hot meal or rationed food items including fruits, eggs, camote, and nutty bars; and pasteurized fresh milk.
For at least 10 regions, the milk either arrived late or remained absent throughout the school year.
Government auditors found these anomalies in Mandaluyong City and Pasig City in the National Capital Region (NCR); Ifugao, Benguet, and Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); La Union in Region 1 (Ilocos Region); Oriental Mindoro and Palawan in Region 4B (Mimaropa); Camarines Sur in Region 5 (Bicol Region); Zamboanga City in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula); Bukidnon, Valencia City, and the city of Malaybalay in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao); Tagum City in Region 11 (Davao Region); South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN); and Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Butuan City, Cabadbaran City, and Surigao City in Region 13 (CARAGA).
Months-long delays in signing supply contracts with the Philippine Carabao Center or the National Dairy Authority and private suppliers were blamed for late deliveries of milk in NCR, CAR, and Regions 1, 4B, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 even if funding were reportedly released as early as the first quarter of 2023.
In the Camarines Sur SDO, almost P100 million worth of food products have yet to arrive and milk supply contracts were not even inked.
“As of February 14, 2024, NFPs totaling 6,847,234 units amounting to P98,613,931 remained undelivered. The procurement of milk products was not yet conducted,” the audit team said.
In the Palawan SDO, the payment to the supplier was completed faster than the delivery of food supplies.
“Audit revealed that SDO Palawan paid on December 15, 2022 the full amount of P25,709,893 for NFP purchased… despite delayed delivery of goods totaling P14,589,363 per delivery receipts and school IARs (inspection and acceptance reports),” the auditors noted.
While some SDOs were able to fully distribute the delayed NFPs and milk, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the guidelines of the DepEd Feeding Program were no longer followed as schools simply gave out double rations and even gave food items for students not classified as undernourished. These were done to avoid spoilage of delivered food.
“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.
Responding to the audit findings, the concerned SDOs said they will conduct onsite inspections of production facilities of nutribuns to verify compliance with sanitation and safety standards, while others said they will involve school health professionals in a consultative meeting with suppliers to address concerns on food safety raised in the audit report.
SDOs with delayed or undelivered sterilized milk contracts said they are adjusting procurement calendars for pasteurized and sterilized milk and reviewing provisions of supply contracts to speed up delivery and replacement if problems in packaging and spoilage are found.
