MANILA – Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday underscored the need for transparency and accountability to fight corruption within the government.
“A government that listens, adapts, and acts swiftly to address public demands, builds credibility as well as trust,” he said in a statement following the 2024 Sikhay Laban sa Korapsyon (SiLaK).
His statement is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide quality and streamlined services to both teachers and learners.
“Sa madaling salita, kailangan hindi lang tapat kundi mabilis at maasahan ang ating pamahalaan, kabilang na po ang ating department (In other words, the government should not only be honest but also swift and reliable, including our department),” Angara said.
Among DepEd’s streamlined measures include open communication lines, data-driven governance, early procurement activities (EPA), and strict compliance with the National Government Procurement Reform Act.
DepEd has also implemented a no-collection policy, zero tolerance for bid manipulation, and the introduction of the Walang Korapsyon sa DepEd (No Corruption in DepEd) online platform for reporting procurement irregularities.
The education chief, meanwhile, vowed to cooperate with the Office of the Ombudsman in efforts to eradicate corruption within the government.
“We owe it to our learners, to their parents, to our citizens to maintain the highest level of integrity in everything that we do. Katuwang namin kayo sa tapat at mas maayos na sistema (We are with you in pushing for an honest and more organized system),” he added.
To date, DepEd has around a million DepEd personnel in almost 60,000 schools and offices nationwide. (PNA)