THE NATIONAL Union of Students of the Philippines slammed the Commission on Higher Education for its failure to use funds for online learning that it received last year under the Bayanihan 2 law.

In an annual report, the Commission on Audit said CHED only used 40.61% or P1.3 billion out of its P3.3 billion total allotment in 2020 for the provision of financial and material assistance to state universities and colleges for the development of smart campuses.

“The report only confirms that the government has no plans on hastening its actions to help the students and teachers alike. CHED’s ineffective implementations and slow progress hinder students all over the country to quality and accessible education,” NUSP National President Jandeil Roperos said.

CHED argued that the delay in disbursing funds was caused by the need for in-depth reviews by technical experts.

It added that Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses also moved the timetable of the project and the lack of personnel added to the woes.

However, Roperos said CHED’s misuse of the budget cost the students their right to financial assistance.

“CHED’s constant lagging response to the problems faced by its constituents reflects that even before the pandemic, Filipinos are left to fend for themselves under the Duterte regime,” Roperos said.

“If the government and its agencies are truly serious in helping the country to end this crisis, they must do so by performing their job and ensuring that all its budget is used properly to overcome hindrances and prevent inefficiency in the overall response toward the pandemic,” she added.

Roperos urged CHED to immediately act and efficiently use its resources, especially for the gradual and safe reopening of classes.

“At a time when students dropping out are at an all-time high, CHED must take a step to re-assess and note that prolonged flexible learning setup has arguably caused more harm than good,” she said.