Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) has successfully recovered approximately PHP65 million from 40 out of 54 private schools flagged for irregularities in the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP) for the School Years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.

According to Philippines News Agency, DepEd announced that from the 54 schools expelled from the SHS-VP, 38 have fully refunded the government, while two have made partial repayments. Fourteen schools are yet to return the disbursed funds, prompting the department to issue final demand letters. The investigation continues as the agency evaluates whether the irregularities constitute fraud.

For the current academic year, DepEd's Investigation Division is reviewing 12 schools, with three additional institutions referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following assessments by the Government Assistance and Subsidies Service (GASS).

To prevent further misuse of public funds, DepEd, in collaboration with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), is implementing stricter monitoring measures. These include cross-verification of records, comprehensive system audits, and random field inspections of participating private schools. A second-semester validation by PEAC is planned for next month, and a billing schedule will be introduced in School Year 2025-2026 to enhance fund disbursement efficiency.

Regional and division offices have been instructed to perform inspections and submit detailed reports to the Central Office. Enhanced validation procedures are also being enacted to ensure that only eligible learners benefit from the voucher program. Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized, "We are taking decisive steps to strengthen our validation processes, hold erring schools accountable, and restore public trust in the SHS Voucher Program."